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EIGHTEENTH CONGRESS OF THE 
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REPUBLIC OF THE PHILIPPINES 
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First Regular Session 
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’19 OEC 10 P5 55
SENATE
Senate Bill No. 1227
INTRODUCED BY SENATOR CHRISTOPHER LAWRENCE “BONG” T. GO
AN ACT
ESTABLISHING THE RENTAL HOUSING SUBSIDY PROGRAM AND PROVIDING FUNDS 
THEREFOR AND FOR OTHER PURPOSES
EXPLANATORY NOTE
As provided under RA 7279 or the Urban Development and Housing Act, thp 
State shall, by law and for the common good, undertake, in cooperation with the 
private sector, a continuing program of urban land reform and housing which will 
m ake a va ila b le  at a ffo rd a b le  cost de cent housing and basic se rvice s to 
underprivileged and homeless citizens in urban centers and resettlement areas.
Data from the National Statistical Coordination Board showed that 1 out of 4 
or 25.2% of the population in the country was classified as poor in 2012. A huge 
portion of which are ISFs, numbered at 250,000 to 600,000 in Metro Manila alone, 
according to the World Bank.
However, poverty is not the sole cause of the rising number of ISFs in the 
country. In fact, we may consider natural disasters and calamities as some of the 
highest contributors to this problem.
Being an archipelago, the Philippines is hit by frequent seismic activities and 
around 20 typhoons a year, destroying lives, livelihood and homes. In 2013, the 
country was struck by one of the most devasting typhoons in history, supertyphoon 
Yolanda, which left behind more than 4.4 million or 1,143,332 families homeless.


In 2019, the Commission on Audit flagged the National Housing Authority 
(NHA) for completing only 117,167 of the 203,471 intended housing for the victims 
of the said typhoon. These homeless families are either living in shelters, temporary 
homes, or worse, in the streets. However, this kind situations may have been 
improved if not prevented.
Despite circumstances in social housing over the past years, it is not too late
for the State to fulfill its mandate of providing sustainable and habitable shelter for 
its people.
This Act not only seeks to provide homes for the displaced families, but also 
to help them sustain their livelihoods by offering them various options during the 
interim process of construction and relocation.
It also seeks to protect the urban poor from  the im pact of im m ediate 
dislocation due to eviction and demolition arising from government projects.
SENATOR CHRISTo tHER LAWRENCE “ BONG” T. GO


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EIGHTEENTH CONGRESS OF THE 
)
REPUBLIC OF THE PHILIPPINES 
)
F/rst Regular Session 
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DEC 10 P5 55
SENATE
Senate Bill No. J.2 2 7  
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INTRODUCED BY SENATOR CHRISTOPHER LAWRENCE “BONG” T. GO
AN ACT
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therI for anV f™
er pSrposGesSUBS,DY PR0GRAM AND PR0VIDING funds
?ongKsfassembledfena,e and >he H° USe of RePresen'atives °<the Philippines in
Section 1,  Shorl Title. -
 This Act shall be known as the “Rental Housing 
Subsidy Program Act of 2019.”
Sec. 2. Declaration of Policy. -  It is hereby declared the policy of the State to:
a. Promote a just, equitable, and inclusive urban developm ent through 
programs providing adequate social services, broader housing options, 
livelihood and employment, and an improved quality of life for the Filipino 
people, especially the underprivileged;
b. Provide an innovative housing program providing affordable, livable, and
decent housing, as well as access to basic social services, especially for the 
underprivileged;
c. Protect the urban poor trom the impact of immediate dislocation due to 
eviction and demolition arising from government projects; and
d. Provide for options for interim housing for dislocated families due to natural 
and man-made disasters.


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Sec. 3. Definition of Terms. -  For purposes of this Act, the following terms or 
words and phrases shall be understood to mean as follows:
a. Dislocation -  refers to the state of being displaced from one place to another 
due to causes such as but not limited to eviction and demolition;
b. Informal Settler Beneficiary (ISB) — refers to individuals or households living 
under any of the following conditions:
1. Where the individual or household is living in a lot or dwelling unit 
without the consent of the legal owner of such lot or dwelling unit;
2. Where the individual or household is living in a danger area as 
determ ined by the Departm ent of Human Settlem ents and Urban 
Development (DHSUD);
3. Where the individual or household is living in an area reserved or used 
for government infrastructure projects;
4. Where the individual or household is living in an area which is 
classified as a protected or forest area, except indigenous peoples;
5. Where the individual or household is living in an area declared as a 
priority development area under Proclamation No. 1967, series of 
1980, as applicable; or
6. Where the individual or household is living on public lands, structures, 
or facilities not intended for human habitation.
c. 
Rental Housing Subsidy -  refers to the financial assistance provided by the 
government to rent accommodation in the private rental market, the amount


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which shall not exceed the rates as regulated under Republic Act No. 9653,
othenwise known as the “Rent Control Act.”
Sec. 4. Rental Housing Subsidy Program. -  A Rental Housing Subsidy 
Program, hereinafter referred to as the “Program,” shall be established as a housing 
and social protection program with the end view of enabling ISBs to lead decent 
lives and supporting them in accessing the formal housing market. It shall be made 
an option to address the temporary relocation of displaced families due to natural 
and man-made disasters.
Eligible beneficiaries shall receive a rental subsidy, the amount of which shall 
be determined by the DHSUD taking into consideration, among others, the prevailing 
rental rates in the concerned locality and the economic standing and potential of the 
fam ily. The subsidy shall be a percentage of the total am ount of rentals as 
determined by the rental or lease contract between the eligible beneficiary and the 
lessor, provided that for those eligible beneficiaries below the poverty threshold as 
determined by the Philippine Statistics Authority, the subsidy shall be at least 50% 
of the total amount of rentals.
Notwithstanding any provisions to the contrary, at any time but not more than 
once every two (2) years, subsidies given under the program shall be reviewed or 
revised to conform to prevailing economic conditions.
Rental subsidy shall be granted to eligible beneficiaries for a maximum of five 
(5) years or upon their availment or acquisition of permanent housing, whichever 
comes first.
Sec. 5. Eligibility. To be an eligible beneficiary under this Act, an individual or 
household must:
a. Live under any of the conditions under Sec. 3, paragraph b, of this Act;


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b. Have a source of live lih o o d  or have at least one (1) m em ber of the 
household gainfully employed; and
c. Vacate the informal settlement area in which they are presently living and 
transfer or relocate to a safer area.
Sec. 6. Conditions for Continued Entitiement or Eligibility. -  All eligible 
beneficiaries shall comply with the following conditions for continued availment of 
the benefits under this Act:
a. The beneficiaries shall not move or relocate back to the area in which they 
were originally living in unless such move or relocation has been permitted 
by the proper government authorities taking into consideration the purpose of 
the program: and
b. The beneficiaries shall pay that portion of the rentals not subsidized under 
the program to the lessor.
Beneficiaries who maintain good payment standings shall be prioritized as 
beneficiaries in government housing programs.
Sec. 7. Form of Payment. -  The rental subsidy shall be distributed by the 
DSHUD in such form as may be identified by the DHSUD to be most beneficial and 
appropriate for the beneficiaries.
Sec. 8. Roles of Government Agencies. -  The program shall involve the 
national government agencies and instrumentalities with the following roles:
a. The DHSUD shall:
1. Coordinate with housing agencies to formulate program targets and 
integrate these to the national housing policy;


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2. Prom ulgate appropriate housing policies am ong the attached 
corporations of the DHSUD in line with the im plem entation of this 
program;
3. Enlist beneficiaries and their lessors for the program;
4. Set up monitoring and evaluation system, tools, exit strategy, and 
methodologies on compliance with conditions, implementation, output, 
and impact assessments together with its attached agencies, the 
D epartm ent of S ocial W elfare and D evelopm ent (DSWD), the 
Presidential Commission on the Urban Poor (PGUP), and the local 
government units; and
5. Recommend to Congress measures for the proper and responsive 
implementation of this Act.
b. The National Housing Authority (NHA) shall:
1. Certify the eligibility of the beneficiaries under the program;
2. Coordinate with infrastructure program im plem enting agencies, 
including but not lim ited to the Departm ent of Public Works and 
Highways (DPWH) and the Department of Transportation (DOTr) for the 
identification of areas housing persons who are in need of immediate 
resettlement;
3. Update the alphalist and socio-economic profiles of beneficiaries to be 
resettled as part of the National Resettlement Program; and
4. Design and conduct appropriate monitoring and evaluation of the 
implementation of this program, which shall include a grievance and 
redress system.


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c. The Home Development Mutual Fund (HDMF) shall enroll the beneficiaries to 
the HDMF system so as to facilitate their entry into the form al housing
market.
d. The DSWD shall:
1. Design the social preparation activitie s and form  and conduct 
workshops and training programs to ensure that beneficiaries are 
aware of the benefits under the program, including the parameters 
and conditions for eligibility.
e. The PGUP shall:
1. A ssist the DSWD in the design of social preparation activities, 
workshops, and training programs for beneficiaries;
2. Conduct social preparation activities with the local government units.
f. 
The Technical Education and Skills Development Authority (TESDA) shall 
provide skills training to beneficiaries.
g. The local government units shall:
1. Maintain a publicly accessible register of lessors in their respective 
areas of jurisdiction;
2. Assist the NHA in conducting census and tagging of ISBs in need of 
immediate resettlement;
3. Assist the DSWD and PGUP in conducting social preparation activities;
4. Contain the vacated areas of ISBs to help achieve the objectives of 
this program;


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5. Assist the DSWD in monitoring and evaluating the implementation of 
this program; and
6. Conduct field valuation of beneficiaries and their respective lessors 
with DSWD in the rental housing units.
Sec. 9. Additional Positions and Personnel for the DHSUD. -  For purposes of 
this Act, the DHSUD shall, in accordance with pertinent civil service rules, create 
positions and enlist additional personnel to ensure the proper and appropriate 
implementation of the program under this Act.
Sec. 10. Appropriations. -  The am ount necessary fo r the e ffe ctiv e  
implementation of this Act shall be charged against the current appropriations for 
the DHSUD. T h ere aft e r,  such a m o u n ts  as n e c e s s a r y  for its c o n ti n u e d  
implementation shall be included in the General Appropriations Act.
Sec. 11. Implementing Rules and Regulations. -  The DHSUD, in coordination 
with relevant government agencies, shall issue rules, regulations, and guidelines
necessary to carry out the intent and purposes of this Act within six (6) months from 
date of effectivity.
Sec. 12. Mandatory Review on the Implementation of this Act. -  The DHSUD
shall submit to the Congress a report on the implementation of this program at the
end of the second (2n<1) year from  date of effectivity and every two (2) years 
thereafter.
Sec. 13. Separability Clause. -  If any portion or provision of this Act is held 
unconstitutional or invalid, the remaining provisions not affected thereby shall 
continue to be in full force and effect.
Sec. 14. Repealing Clause.-AW laws, executive orders, proclamations, rules, 
regulations, and other issuances or parts thereof inconsistent with the provisions of 
this Act are hereby repealed, amended, or modified accordingly.
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Sec. 15. Effectivity. -  This Act shall take effect fifteen (15) days following its 
publication in the Official Gazette or in at least two (2) newspapers of general 
circulation.
Approved,
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