Philippines expands 4PH housing programme with rental, financing and land partnerships
The Philippines is widening its Pambansang Pabahay Para sa Pilipino Program (4PH) to tackle a 3.7-million-unit housing backlog, adding rental housing, subsidised loans and partnerships with private developers. Pag-IBIG Fund is offering preferential interest rates of 3 per cent for low-income borrowe
The Philippine government is broadening its national housing programme to close a housing backlog of 3.7 million units, adding rental options, community financing and partnerships with private developers to its flagship Pambansang Pabahay Para sa Pilipino Program (4PH). The initiative originally targeted the construction of 1 million housing units a year and the elimination of informal settlements by 2028. It has since expanded beyond condominiums to include horizontal housing, rental options, community-based financing and cooperation with private developers and government institutions.
Under the Expanded 4PH Program, Pag-IBIG Fund is offering subsidised housing loans. Qualified borrowers can access a preferential annual interest rate of 3 per cent, particularly minimum-wage earners and low-income members, while regular qualified borrowers may access a rate of 5 per cent. The 3 per cent rate applies to eligible members earning P34,000 or less monthly outside Metro Manila and P47,000 or less in Metro Manila. The preferential rate is intended for first-time homeowners who do not own registered property and generally applies during the first five years of the loan. Under Pag-IBIG's Early Bird Promo, the first 30,000 borrowers may enjoy the rate for the first 10 years of their housing loan.
The expanded program has also opened opportunities for horizontal housing developments, including house-and-lot packages priced at P950,000. These give prospective homeowners an alternative to condominium living, responding to the preferences of families who want a house and a lot of their own. Members who do not qualify for the preferential interest rate may still access participating projects and their discounted package prices, subject to applicable terms.
For people not yet financially prepared to purchase a property, the Expanded 4PH Program has incorporated rental housing into its scope. Pag-IBIG Fund offers financing for eligible rental construction and development projects at a 3% annual interest rate for the first 10 years, with loan terms of up to 30 years. The program also incorporates the Enhanced Community Mortgage Program (ECMP), which helps organized groups of informal settler families acquire the land they occupy or relocate to suitable sites through affordable financing. In September, the Department of Human Settlements and Urban Development (DHSUD) awarded 913 land titles to beneficiary families under the ECMP, benefiting more than 3,000 people, and reported that 47 ECMP projects had been approved, benefiting about 8```json {
