Closing The Housing Gap, Takes Collective Effort
By Vaughn Alviar; Philippine Daily Inquirer; Property Section; October 31,2026
NOVEMBER 4, 2026 | WEDNESDAY
Addressing the Philippines’ massive housing backlog requires more than building additional homes. It calls for a sustained, collective effort to make quality housing more accessible and affordable to Filipino families.
Given the scale of the challenge, neither government nor the private sector can accomplish this alone. While the government provides the policies, financing mechanisms and institutional support, private developers bring the capital, technical expertise and capacity to deliver housing projects.
Bringing these strengths together is crucial to increasing housing supply while making homeownership a realistic possibility for more Filipinos.
That challenge is central to National Shelter Month, observed every October to highlight the need for adequate housing and sustainable human settlements. This year’s theme, “Tahanan. Pamayanan. Kinabukasan,” underscores the connection between decent homes, stronger communities and more secure futures.
“At the heart of every housing project is a family looking forward to a better life,” said Department of Human Settlements and Urban Development (DHSUD) Secretary Jose Ramon Aliling. “Every home built offers security, every community developed creates opportunities, and every right protected helps give families peace of mind.”
A shared responsibility
Public-private partnerships are particularly important in housing, where increasing the number of available homes must go hand in hand with ensuring that families can afford them.
Among the developers supporting this effort is SM Development Corp. (SMDC), which brought its homeownership initiative to Iloilo through a Home Ownership Weekend on Oct. 16 to 18. The activity gave prospective buyers a chance to explore housing options in Iloilo and Bacolod.
Read: SMDC brings Pag-IBIG Fund partnership to Visayas in nationwide homeownership push
“People build their lives in a community long before they buy a home there. Their work, their family and the people they count on are already part of that place,” said Jessica T. Sy, vice president and head of Design, Innovation and Strategy of SM Prime Holdings Inc. and SMDC. “As we grow in the regions, our responsibility is to create housing choices that respect those roots.”
Making homeownership more accessible
The Visayas outreach builds on a memorandum of understanding (MOU) signed between SMDC and Pag-IBIG Fund on Sept. 8, which seeks to make selected residential projects accessible through Pag-IBIG financing.
The agreement covers selected developments under SMDC Heights, SMDC Nature and SMDC Symphony Homes, offering housing choices ranging from urban condominiums to house-and-lot communities in regional growth areas. These include Glade Residences in Iloilo and Smile Residences in Bacolod.
Beyond financing, the partnership also emphasizes buyer education and guidance. Help desks and trained sales teams assist prospective buyers in identifying participating projects, requesting indicative loan computations and understanding documentary requirements.
Pag-IBIG Fund, meanwhile, determines borrower eligibility, property appraisal, actual loan amounts and final approval.
“Affordable financing truly serves its purpose when our members also have suitable homes to choose from,” Pag-IBIG Fund chief executive officer Marilene C. Acosta said in September. “Through our partnership with SMDC, more Filipino workers can choose a home that fits their family’s needs and budget, then finance it affordably through Pag-IBIG.”
Widening opportunities
Such partnerships complement the government’s Expanded Pambansang Pabahay para sa Pilipino (Expanded 4PH) Program, which seeks to address the housing deficit by encouraging greater collaboration between public institutions and private developers.
Pag-IBIG Fund has also increased its maximum housing loan amount to P10 million from P6 million for qualified borrowers and allows up to three eligible members to combine their incomes under one housing loan account.
To help more Filipinos take advantage of these expanded financing opportunities, SMDC is preparing housing caravans and roadshows across the Philippines and overseas, bringing housing options and financing information closer to prospective homeowners.
“For us, building a nation of homeowners means helping more families own a home where they have chosen to build their future,” Sy concluded.
To learn more about SMDC and PAG-IBIG partnership click here