President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr. provided an early Christmas gift of a new home to over 30,000 individuals in Cavite, highlighting the need for more high-rise buildings to help alleviate the country’s housing requirements among over 6.5 million citizens.
He described how his parents, late President Ferdinand Marcos Sr. and former First Lady Imelda Marcos, endeavored to give the urban poor with their own houses and lots through the Bagong Lipunan Improvement of Sites and Services (BLISS) program.
However, he stated that these were mid-rise residences that may no longer be practical today due to a “land shortage” in metropolitan areas.
“Kung maaalala ninyo ‘yung project na BLISS, diyan nag-umpisa ang mid-rise na ilang five story, six story na building…Ngunit ngayon dahil mahirap na, baka siguro pataasin natin. Baka puwede na natin hanggang high-rise na. Ngunit pinag-aaralan natin ‘to. Siguro case to case ito,” said Marcos during the turnover of new houses and lots for 30,000 Filipino families in Naic, Cavite.
The BLISS initiative, which began in 1981, was overseen by Marcos’ mother, who was also the concurrent Minister of Human Settlement at the time.
Marcos emphasized the importance of the Department of Human Settlements and Urban Development in assisting the National Housing Authority (NHA) in ensuring that residences built for the underprivileged are close to their source of income.
“Kung minsan ganun ang pakiramdam, parang isang oras ka bago makauwi lalo na sa Maynila. Pero ang aming tinitingnan the travel time mula sa bahay hangga’t sa trabaho ay hindi dapat lalampas sa isang oras,” he said.
He also stated that their residences should be close to their children’s schools and shopping centers.
