Republic of the Philippines
HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
Quezon City

Eighteenth Congress
Second Regular Session

7364

House Bill No.

Introduced by Representatives
ESTRELLITA B. SUANSING and HORACIO P. SUANSING, JR.

EXPLANATORY NOTE

As provided under RA 7279 or the Urban Development and Housing
Act, the 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 make available at affordable cost decent
housing and basic services 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 devastating
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 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 of
situation 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 impact of immediate
dislocation due to eviction and demolition arising from government projects.

In view of the foregoing, the approval of this bill is earnestly sought.

. ESTRELLITA B. SU.
1st District, Nueva Ecij

ING



Republic of the Philippines
HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
Quezon City

Eighteenth Congress
Second Regular Session

House Bill No.__7364

Introduced by Representatives
ESTRELLITA B. SUANSING and HORACIO P. SUANSING, JR.

AN ACT
ESTABLISHING THE RENTAL HOUSING SUBSIDY PROGRAM, PROVIDING
FUNDS THEREFOR, AND FOR OTHER PURPOSES

Be it enacted by the Senate and the House of Representatives of the Philippines
in Congress assembled:

SECTION 1. Short Title. - This Act shall be known as the “Rental Housing
Subsidy Program Act.”

SEC. 2. Declaration of Policy. - It is hereby declared the policy of the State
to:

(a) Promote a just, equitable, and inclusive urban development 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;

() Protect the urban poor from the impact of immediate dislocation due
to eviction and demolition arising from government projects; and

(4) Provide for options for interim housing for dislocated families due to
natural and man-made disasters.

SEC. 3. Definition of Terms. - For purposes of this Act, the following terms
shall mean as follows:


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(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’

(2) Where the individual or household is living in a danger area as
determined by the Department of Human Settlements 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 which shall not exceed the rates as regulated
under Republic Act No. 9653, otherwise 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 family. The subsidy shall be a percentage of the total
amount of rentals as determined by the rental or lease contract between the
eligible beneficiary and the lessor: Provided, That for those cligible
beneficiaries below the poverty threshold as determined by the Philippine

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Statistics Authority, the subsidy shall be at least fifty percent (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 Section 3(b) of this Act;

(b) Have a source of livelihood or have at least one (1) member 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 Entitlement or Eligibility. - All cligible
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
DHSUD 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:


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(b)

(c)

(a)

(e)

(1) Coordinate with housing agencies to formulate program targets

(2)

(3)
(4)

(5)

and integrate these to the national housing poli

Promulgate appropriate housing policies among the attached
corporations of the DHSUD in line with the implementation of
this program;

Enlist beneficiaries and their lessors for the program;

Set up monitoring and evaluation systems, tools, exit strategy,
and methodologies on compliance with conditions,
implementation, output, and impact assessments together with
its attached agencies, the department of Social Welfare and
Development (DSWD), the Presidential Commission on the
Urban Poor (PCUP), and the local government units; and

Recommend to Congress measures for the proper and
responsive implementation of this Act.

The National Housing Authority (NHA) shall:

Q)
(2)

(3)

(4)

Certify the eligibility of the beneficiaries under the program;

Coordinate with infrastructure program implementing agencies,
including but not limited to the Department of Public Works
and Highways (DPWH) and the Department of Transportation
(DOTY) for the identification of areas housing persons who are
in need of immediate resettlement;

Update the alphalist and socio-economic profiles of beneficiaries
to be resettled as part of the National Resettlement Program;
and

Design and conduct appropriate monitoring and evaluation of
the implementation of this program, which shall include a
grievance and redress system.

The Home Development Mutual Fund (HDMF) shall enroll the
beneficiaries to the HDMF system so as to facilitate their entry into
the formal housing market.

The DSWD shall design the social preparation activities and form and
conduct workshops and training programs to ensure that the
beneficiaries are aware of the benefits under the program, including
the parameters and conditions for eligibility.

The PUCP shall:

()

Assist the DSWD in the design of social preparation activities,
workshops, and training programs for beneficiaries; and


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(2) Conduct social preparation activities with the local government
units.

(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 PCUP in conducting social preparation
activities;

(4) Contain the vacated areas of ISBs to help achieve the objectives
of this program;

(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 amount necessary for the effective
implementation of this Act shall be charged against the current
appropriations for the DHSUD. Thereafter, such amounts as necessary for its
continued implementation shall be included in the annual General
Appropriations Act.

SEC. 11. Implementing Rules and Regulations. - The DHSUD, in
coordination with relevant government agencies, shall issue mules,
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 Congress a report on the implementation of this
program at the end of the second (2") year from date of effectivity and every
two (2) years thereafter.


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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. - All 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.

SEC. 15. Effectivity. - This Act shall take effect fifteen (15) days following its
publication in the Official Gazette or in a newspaper of general circulation.

Approved,