Republic of the Philippines 
HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 
Quezon City 
NINETEENTH CONGRESS 
First Regular Session 
House Bill No. ____ 
Introduced by Representative 
ROLANDO M. VALERIANO 
EXPLANATORY NOTE 
The housing problems in the Philippines is a serious issue that threatens 
the rapid development and growth of the country. In 2021, the housing 
backlog in the country is a whopping 3.9 million units, which means there are 
3.9 million Filipino families without homes of their own. Additionally, there 
are over 4 million Filipino families that are living in unsustainable housing 
conditions or in danger zones such as river banks, under bridges and along 
railroad tracks. They lack security and safety with no access to clean water 
and electricity. 
Aggravating the housing shortage are the ever-increasing cost of land 
and prices of construction materials, the unabated migration of people from 
rural to urban centers thereby making the latter denser in population, and 
competing land uses. As a result informal settlers grow in multitudes, forcing 
them to live in poor conditions and low standards of living. 
Republic Act No. 7279, as amended, also known as the ‘Urban 
Development and Housing Act’, mandates the government, in cooperation 
with the private sector and local government units (LGUs), to engage in the 
production of socialized and public housing, establish resettlement sites and 
improve access to home financing for the benefit of underprivileged and 
homeless citizens. 
The law specifically provides for the rehabilitation and development of 
blighted and slum, or on-site development, to ensure minimum movement of 
target beneficiaries. However, resettlement of beneficiaries shall be resorted 
to when on-site development is not feasible. Off-site resettlement may involve 
in-city or out-of-city relocation sites. 
Out-of-city resettlements have often failed because of school and work 
displacement and the lack of basic facilities and services in the relocation 
sites. In many instances, the beneficiaries leave the resettlements and return 
April 20, 2023
1:16 pm
7887


to slums or to where they were previously from. In addressing these issues, 
there is a growing clamor to engage in-city vertical housing programs 
strategically built in high-density urban areas. 
Vertical housing involves the construction of multi-storey buildings, 
usually from low-rise or medium-rise, for settlement or resettlement purposes 
with attendant basic services and access to livelihood primarily intended for 
housing informal settlers. They consume less land and open up more spaces 
per square area of land used, thus more beneficiaries can be accommodated 
and is well suited in high-density areas. 
This bill seeks to mandate the National Housing Authority (NHA) and 
other housing-concerned agencies, as well as local government units, to 
prioritize the implementation of vertical housing resettlement programs in 
high-density areas when such strategy has been determined to be the most 
suitable and feasible under the circumstances to benefit informal family 
settlers. An initial amount of Ten Billion Pesos is also appropriated to kick-
start the implementation of the program. 
The government must provide Filipinos with decent and practical 
housing complete with basic amenities and facilities for them to enjoy better 
living conditions establish livable and sustainable communities. 
For the foregoing reasons, the immediate consideration and approval of 
this bill is earnestly urged. 
ROLANDO M. VALERIANO 
Representative 


Republic of the Philippines 
HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 
Quezon City 
NINETEENTH CONGRESS 
First Regular Session 
House Bill No. ____ 
INTRODUCED BY REPRESENTATIVE 
ROLANDO M. VALERIANO 
AN ACT 
ESTABLISHING 
IN-CITY 
VERTICAL 
HOUSING 
RESETTLEMENT 
PROGRAMS 
FOR 
INFORMAL 
SETTLER FAMILIES IN HIGH-DENSITY URBAN 
AREAS IN THE COUNTRY, AMENDING FOR THE 
PURPOSE REPUBLIC ACT NO. 7279 OR THE URBAN 
DEVELOPMENT AND HOUSING ACT OF 1992 
Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the Philippines 
in Congress assembled: 
Section 1.  Short Title – This Act shall be known as the ‘In-City 
1 
Vertical Housing Resettlement Act of 2023’. 
2 
Section 2.  Declaration of Policy – It is the policy of the State to 
3 
protect, promote and fulfill the right of the people, particularly the informal 
4 
settler families, to adequate housing as a component of the people’s right to 
5 
an adequate standard of living. Towards this end, the State shall undertake 
6 
comprehensive in-city resettlement housing programs in high-density urban 
7 
areas in the country through the vertical development approach which shall 
8 
ensure that homeless Filipinos will be sheltered in safe, secure, and 
9 
sustainable housing, with attendant basic services and access to livelihood. 
10 
Section  3.   Definition of Terms – For purposes of this Act: 
11 
7887


a) In-city resettlement refers to a relocation site within the jurisdiction of 
1 
a local government unit, such as a city, where the affected informal 
2 
settler families are living or to be resettled; 
3 
b) Informal settler families (ISFs) refer to households living in a lot, 
4 
whether private or public, without the consent of the property owner; 
5 
or those without legal claim over the property they are occupying; or 
6 
those living in danger areas such as esteros, railroad tracks, garbage 
7 
dumps, riverbanks, shorelines and waterways; 
8 
c) Vertical housing settlement refers to a relocation site with multi-storey 
9 
buildings, usually from low-rise or medium-rise, with attendant basic 
10 
services and access to livelihood primarily intended for housing 
11 
informal settlers; and, 
12 
d) High-density urban areas refer to urban areas with a population density 
13 
higher than the average of 200 persons per hectare as determined by the 
14 
Commission on Population and Development. 
15 
Section 4. Establishment of In-City Vertical Housing Resettlement 
16 
Programs in High-Density Urban Areas – Section 26 of Republic Act No. 
17 
7279, otherwise known as the ‘Urban Development and Housing Act of 
18 
1992’, is hereby amended to read as follows: 
19 
Section 26. Urban Renewal and Resettlement. – This shall 
20 
include the rehabilitation and development of blighted and slum 
21 
areas and the resettlement of Program beneficiaries in 
22 
accordance with the provisions of this Act. On-site development 
23 
shall be implemented whenever possible in order to ensure 
24 
minimum movement of occupants of blighted lands and slum 
25 


areas. The resettlement of the beneficiaries of the Program from 
1 
their existing places of occupancy shall be undertaken only when 
2 
on-site development is not feasible and after compliance with the 
3 
procedures laid down in Section 28 of this Act[.]: PROVIDED, 
4 
THAT IN HIGH-DENSITY URBAN AREAS WHERE ON-
5 
SITE 
OR 
IN-CITY 
HOUSING 
RESETTLEMENT 
6 
DEVELOPMENT HAS BEEN DETERMINED TO BE 
7 
MOST 
SUITABLE 
AND 
FEASIBLE, 
VERTICAL 
8 
HOUSING RESETTLEMENT PROGRAMS SHALL BE 
9 
MANDATORILY IMPLEMENTED. 
10 
Section  5.  Implementing Rules and Regulations – The National 
11 
Housing Authority (NHA) and the Department of Human Settlements and 
12 
Urban Development (DHSUD), in consultation with local government units 
13 
(LGUs) and other relevant government agencies, and concerned informal 
14 
settler organizations and stakeholders, shall, within ninety (90) days from the 
15 
effectivity of the Act, formulate the rules and regulations necessary for the 
16 
effective implementation of this Act. 
17 
Section 6. Appropriation – The amount of Ten Billion Pesos 
18 
(Php10,000,000,000.00) is hereby appropriated to be included in the 
19 
allocation for the NHA for the initial implementation of this Act. Thereafter, 
20 
the amount necessary for the continuing implementation of this Act shall be 
21 
programmed by the NHA to be included in the General Appropriations Act. 
22 
Section   7. Repealing Clause – All laws, decrees, executive orders, 
23 
rules and regulations, and other issuances or parts thereof which are 
24 
inconsistent with this Act hereby repealed, amended or modified accordingly. 
25 


Section   8. Effectivity – This Act shall take effect fifteen (15) days 
1 
after its publication in the Official Gazette or in any newspaper of general 
2 
circulation. 
3 
APPROVED.