Republic of the Philippines
HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES,
Quezon City

EIGHTEENTH CONGRESS
First Regular Session

HOUSE BILL NO. 2138

Introduced by Rep. Precious Hipolito Castelo

EXPLANATORY NOTE

Itis quite an altruism that the path to owning a house by an employee leads back to the door
step of the employer. This simply means that individuals as long as gainfully employed will
have the opportunities at their disposal for them to own a house more so if the whole
concept of mass housing for interested and qualified individuals is institutionalized and falls
under the mandate of the local government units in Philippine cities and provinces and as
part of corporate social responsibility in the case of the private sector (i.e., industrial firms,
business firms)

In this regard, the national government seems to have dropped the ball. Some private
companies have taken the initiative to embark on mass housing for their employees and
Meralco villages are a good example of what the company does for its employees. Likewise,
certain public and private entities do provide mass housing for their public and private
employees, respectively. Another example would be the GSIS villages and so on. This
seems to be based on the health program of ‘rewards for work’ and the government at both
local and national levels together with the private sector should walk hand in hand to
providing mass housing opportunities to employees.

This humble measure advocates that the "reward for work” must be a decent, liveable wage
and affordable housing. No self-respecting sector, public or private, must go against what
this authors calls ‘pathways-to-housing schemes’ that first and foremost consider that one's
gainful employment should in fact be a pathway that leads to somewhere. In other words,
‘on the other side of employment is the open opportunity to owning a house.

For example, such agencies that could plan for their employees are those of the AFP and
PNP that may have already initiated similar housing programs as part of the benefits of their
armed and uniformed personnel as well as perhaps for their civilian employees

Therefore, this bill proposes that mass housing be part of the: mandate of the local
government units and their private sector counterparts as a matter of employee benefits
Whenever practicable, the government may in fact subsidize these innovative schemes with
ow interests and on the private sector with a similar arrangement or contractual terms.

As the terms and conditions sought to be prescribed and adopted under this proposed
measure should be described as a type of ‘regulatory sociability’ or ‘collaborative regulation,’
it shall be the policy in public and private spheres to reward employees with housing. It is
envisioned that if this scheme is replicated in all local government units, the problem of
homelessness through mass housing would have been addressed more effectively,

The urgent consideration of this instant measure is therefp ea{ly Sought.



Republic of the Philippines
HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
Quezon City

EIGHTEENTH CONGRESS
First Regular Session

HOUSE BILL No, 2138

Introduced by Rep. Precious Hipolito Castelo

AN ACT
MANDATING THE LOCAL GOVERNMENT UNITS TO INSTITUTIONALIZE REWARDS
FOR WORK THROUGH ‘PATHWAYS-TO-HOUSING SCHEMES’ ENCOURAGING
THEREBY THE PRIVATE SECTOR TO ADOPT THIS INITIATIVE INTO THEIR
CORPORATE SOCIAL RESPONSIBILITY

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

SECTION 1. This Act shall be known as the “Pathways-to-Housing Schemes Act.”

SEC. 2. All local government units in cities and provinces throughout the country
shall be mandated to institutionalize ‘pathways-to-housing schemes’ encouraging thereby
the private sector to adopt the same into their corporate social responsibility,

SEC. 3. Under this Act, employees in the public and private sectors, enjoy as a
matter of entitlement, the privilege to own a house of their own as rewards for their work.

Thereupon, their employers should initiate such ‘pathways-to-housing’ under which
arrangement employers shall grant unto their employees low interest or other similar
arrangement or repayment terms and conditions.

SEC. 4. This Act shall take effect thirty (30) days followifg its publication in the
Official Gazette or in at least two (2) newspapers of general circulation

Approved,