DHSUD, UP break ground for rental housing project in UP Los Baños

Officials of the Department of Human Settlements and Urban Development (DHSUD) and the University of the Philippines (UP) on Friday broke ground for a rental housing project for its UP Los Baños (UPLB) campus that will benefit low-income employees, students, and informal settlers.

DHSUD Secretary Jose Ramon Aliling and UP President Angelo Jimenez led the ground-breaking ceremony at the project site in Paciano Rizal in Bay, Laguna on Friday, March 6.

The rental housing project will initially benefit about 1,000 low-income employees and students of UPLB, and informal settler families on campus.

“Alinsunod sa direktiba ni Pangulong Marcos Jr., patuloy ang paglawig ng Expanded 4PH upang mas maraming Pilipino pa ang ating matulungan sa kanilang pangangailangan ng disente, ligtas at abot-kayang pabahay,” Secretary Aliling said in a statement.

(In line with President Marcos’ directive, we continue to improve the Pambansang Pabahay para sa Pilipino Program so that we can help more Filipinos address their need for a decent, safe, and affordable home.)

“Layunin ng rental housing project na ito ang magbigay ng mas may dignidad na pamumuhay sa ating mga kababayang higit na nangangailangan,” he added.

(The goal of this rental housing project is to provide decent housing for our countrymen in most need of it.)

The UPLB rental housing project came 45 years since the last shelter project in the university implemented during the time of former President Ferdinand Marcos Sr. in the 1980s.

The DHSUD said Jimenez cited the significance of decent and dignified housing within UP campuses for the welfare of constituents,

He said the partnership of the DHSUD and UP is a step forward in his pursuit for a transformative agenda for UP and its students, faculty members and residents.

For his part, UPLB Chancellor Jose Camacho Jr. noted that the joint project was finalized in just two months and said it is a huge boost to efforts in providing decent shelters for UP constituents.

The DHSUD has a similar agreement with UP for a rental housing project at its UP Diliman campus. — JMA, GMA Integrated News