00:00The dream of every family is to have a decent and independent house and land.
00:10The government is building houses for the poor.
00:15But according to the reporter's notebook,
00:21some housing projects are in disrepair.
00:26High-rise buildings are being built and are slowly being destroyed.
00:33This is one of the housing units that they say is already completed.
00:37The walls are just basic coating.
00:40The bathroom, aside from the tiles being broken, there is no bathroom.
00:46Here in the bathroom, as you can see, there is no toilet bowl.
00:53The story of some of the residents that we talked to,
00:56to be able to live, they were forced to spend their own money
01:02to fix the housing unit that they moved.
01:06How did these housing projects that are worth millions of pesos end up like this?
01:13It's already destroyed because there is no one left.
01:16The other side is also in ruins.
01:19Life is really hard here. Life is crying here.
01:24Is it like this every day?
01:26Yes, I cry.
01:28Why?
01:30The situation.
01:32Here is his list.
01:36My list of debts.
01:40Each project was funded by the country's money.
01:44That's why we should investigate and ask, where is the money?
01:59In Barangay Pinugay, Baras, Rizal, a housing project was visited by Reporters' Notebook.
02:051,500 units can be found here.
02:09But this is a ghost town.
02:13The housing units have no doors, windows.
02:19There is no proper background.
02:24And it is already covered with thick plants and high tiles.
02:29This is the two Inares Residences.
02:32In the document obtained by Reporters' Notebook from the National Housing Authority or NHA,
02:37the project started on July 2019.
02:41Its original completion date is March 3, 2021.
02:45But it is also included in the document that it was changed and the completion date is now October 2023.
02:51The value of the housing project is more than Php 800 million.
02:55But a year has passed and the houses are still not occupied.
03:03Outside the housing project, we met the resident, Mr. Reinaldo Laguera.
03:09He has been living as a farmer in Barangay Pinugay for 30 years.
03:14It started since the pandemic started.
03:17Mr. Reinaldo wonders why there are still no houses in Barangay Pinugay.
03:22Mr. Reinaldo wonders why there are still no houses in Barangay Pinugay.
03:27A lot of people go there just to look around.
03:30Maybe they are just inquiring.
03:32Since then, no one has come back.
03:34And there is no one living there.
03:35The tiles are already broken.
03:37The people who live there are working.
03:39For example, the door.
03:42That's why it's a mess.
03:44And they will put it there if there are people there.
03:46Because it was stolen.
03:48Like the door.
03:49If you leave the door there, when you come back, it's gone.
03:53The question is,
03:54why are there still not occupying almost 2,000 housing units?
04:00We asked the NHA.
04:03It turns out that the housing project was approved for informal settlers
04:07who will be affected by the cleaning of Manila Bay
04:10according to the Mandamus Order of the Supreme Court.
04:13But the problem is,
04:15One of the hampers of relocation
04:20is that in the past administration, in 2019,
04:24the DILG Circular issued a mandate
04:27that before we move,
04:29there must be a memorandum of agreement
04:35by and between the sending and the receiving.
04:38The problem is,
04:40it's not done by the sending and the receiving.
04:46So that's where the problem is.
04:48That's why there was a total halt
04:50in our relocation.
04:54We also asked the local government of Baras Rizal.
04:58Our town has a population of 80,000.
05:01So the only thing we know is the basic services of our town.
05:06So if we are going to move 80,000 people to Baras,
05:12what are the basic services that we will provide?
05:16That's for those who are going to move.
05:19But the contra to those who will move here,
05:23it's not me.
05:24But it's not just here,
05:26there are housing units in Baras Rizal.
05:30Just a few kilometers from the two Inares residences,
05:33another housing project, Hermosaville, will be found.
05:37In the document obtained by Reporters Notebook
05:39from the NHA Region 4,
05:41October 2022,
05:43this project was declared completed
05:46and is worth Php 731 million.
05:51This housing project has 1,368 units.
05:54But if you include the whole housing project,
05:57most of the units are on rent.
06:00Because as of October 2024,
06:02only 545 units are occupied.
06:05This housing project was built for the residents
06:08affected by the Pasig-Marikina River Channel Improvement Project.
06:15One of the residents of Hermosaville,
06:17is 37-year-old Julia Don.
06:20She moved to this housing project in June this year
06:23from their house,
06:24under the bridge in Cainta Rizal.
06:27How was your situation in Cainta?
06:30Were you flooded?
06:31Yes, we were flooded.
06:33We were always the first to be flooded.
06:36Because we lived under a bridge.
06:40How did you feel when you saw that you have a housing unit?
06:44Of course, we were happy.
06:46But when we were cleaning,
06:50we were about to enter,
06:52but the doors and tiles suddenly rose.
06:57So we had to replace them.
06:59And the doorknob...
07:01It didn't close?
07:03No.
07:04That's why Julia had to clean up the mess in the house.
07:09This is what I did to my husband.
07:12He locked the door.
07:14He couldn't open it.
07:16So I fixed it for him.
07:18This is how he is now.
07:20He's a mess.
07:21When we got there, we just cleaned it up.
07:24And those tiles,
07:26they rose.
07:28So the door closed.
07:31That's why I fixed it.
07:34Julia is with her husband, Juan,
07:37their seven children,
07:38and two grandchildren.
07:40How did they get along?
07:41They are next to each other inside the house.
07:44One is on the floor.
07:47As long as they get along.
07:50Aside from the damage to the house,
07:56they also have a problem with the loss of a loved one.
08:00My husband works in a farm.
08:04When he comes here,
08:06he goes down to work.
08:11Since Julia's husband hasn't sent anything yet,
08:13she had to borrow money from the store.
08:17Here you go, ma'am.
08:21Two eggs and two cups of coffee.
08:25Is it really 100 pesos?
08:27Yes, here's the list.
08:29That's a lot.
08:30It's a lot of money.
08:33How much is it?
08:35It's only for today.
08:37It's just breakfast for my children.
08:39And then they bring the coffee.
08:41They bring it.
08:43The two noodles were prepared by ten members of the family.
08:49Are you the last one to eat?
08:51Yes.
08:52Who's left?
08:53No one.
08:54No one.
08:55I'll wait for the night if there's any.
08:58It's really hard here.
09:00It makes me cry.
09:02Is it like that every day?
09:04Yes.
09:05I cry.
09:06Because?
09:08Because of the situation.
09:11The situation.
09:14Because if you don't find something to eat,
09:17sometimes if there's no food,
09:22you can just borrow milk from the store.
09:28They also have a problem with the lack of facilities in the house.
09:32This is the daycare.
09:35This is where the school is.
09:39But until now?
09:41Nothing.
09:42Nothing.
09:43That's why they said that the school should be prioritized before the covered court.
09:48It's noteworthy that there's no health center in the housing project.
09:53There's a barangay here.
09:55You can ask for help.
09:57But they bring you to the morong if you don't have money.
10:02It's just a story.
10:03The school will be completed.
10:05But we don't rush because we're still new.
10:10But I really want to have a school.
10:12That's why people come here.
10:15The school.
10:16And buying vegetables.
10:18That's the hardest part here.
10:21This is the farm.
10:24This is what we're going to do.
10:26Once it's done, we'll remove it.
10:29We'll plant it while it's not done.
10:32So that we can benefit from it.
10:34It's also stated in the document that aside from the three-story school building,
10:38covered court,
10:40livelihood training center,
10:42health center,
10:43and more,
10:44there should also be a materials recovery facility or MRF in Hermosaville.
10:50But in our continuous visit here,
10:53the garbage is just piled up in a vacant lot.
10:59We're already dropping garbage there.
11:01Because we know what day the garbage will be dropped.
11:05That's why we're throwing it there.
11:06But the problem with others is,
11:08when they enter the house,
11:10because they're in the countryside,
11:11they don't stay in their house.
11:14So when they leave,
11:16they throw garbage even if it's not the day of the dump.
11:20But why are the facilities inside the housing project of the NHA not enough?
11:26The housing budget is separate.
11:28The budget of the community facilities is different.
11:32So in this project,
11:33our budget for community facilities is not enough.
11:39What do you want to say?
11:44I just want to have a livelihood.
11:48For all of us.
11:49I'm not the only one you can help.
11:52All of us.
11:53Because all the people here,
11:55even if you say the house is beautiful,
11:57but when it comes to livelihood,
12:00the people here are poor.
12:02It's just beautiful to look at,
12:03our house.
12:04But it's really hard.
12:09These shortcomings are the reason why Evangeline Agdepa
12:13moved to Hermosoville.
12:19Their family lives under a bridge in Cainta, Rizal.
12:22This is what they will do.
12:24They will move to the other side.
12:30They need to do this
12:32so that they can finish their project.
12:37They are among the beneficiaries of the housing project.
12:40We don't want to do this
12:42because our livelihood is far away.
12:45She is with her daughter and two grandchildren who are studying at home.
12:49Their school is just a 5-minute walk from their house.
12:54When my two grandchildren are studying,
12:57I will take care of them.
13:00That day,
13:01we found out that Evangeline was pregnant.
13:05This is our livelihood, ma'am.
13:08Our buyers are coming to buy from us.
13:13This is our livelihood.
13:16She is expected to earn 500 pesos per 100 pieces of land.
13:23This is what Evangeline will do
13:26if she moves to the housing project in Baras, Rizal.
13:35As we continue our tour in Hermosoville,
13:38we discovered another housing unit that is on the roof.
13:42No one lives there.
13:44It is surrounded by thick walls
13:48and is slowly being destroyed.
13:51This is not the first housing project built by Reporters Notebook.
13:55Until now,
13:56this is the type of housing project that we are reaching.
14:01This is one of the houses that can be moved.
14:05According to the housing package cost and monthly amortization that we received,
14:11the beneficiary will pay Php 499,653
14:17within three decades.
14:19The bathroom,
14:20other than the tiles being destroyed,
14:23there is no bathroom.
14:24Here in the CR,
14:25there is no toilet bowl.
14:27The story of some of the residents that we talked to,
14:30in order to live,
14:32they were forced to spend their own money
14:36to fix the housing unit that they will move.
14:41In the first year,
14:42it is still free to live here in Hermosoville.
14:44But in the following years,
14:46they need to pay Php 600 per month
14:50within 30 years
14:52until the housing unit is worth Php 500,000,000.
14:57Why are there still a lot of non-occupied housing units?
15:01Supposedly, some parts of it
15:03come from Taytay.
15:05However,
15:06the Taytay residents
15:07don't want to go off-city.
15:10They opted to be in-city.
15:14Reporters Notebook also watched
15:16the contractor of the housing project.
15:18Is this completed for you or not?
15:21Not yet, ma'am.
15:22Not yet?
15:23It is completed as housing construction, ma'am.
15:25Completed as housing?
15:27Construction and development.
15:30So where are the bathrooms and toilets?
15:33They are with us, ma'am.
15:34They are for installation in the units.
15:36For installation.
15:37And this, ma'am.
15:38This is the level of payment
15:40from the general contractor, ma'am.
15:42We will provide for the units
15:44where the beneficiaries are.
15:46The funds are with us, ma'am.
15:49But where did the funds go?
15:52Where is the money?
15:54NHA will clarify.
15:56When we say fully completed,
15:58it is not 100% disbursed.
16:00Our disbursement there,
16:02if they requested a billing,
16:06there is a 10% retention left for them.
16:09We do not immediately pay.
16:11But we declare it as fully completed
16:14because the unit is ready
16:16so that when the person relocates,
16:18we will attach the detachables.
16:22You have disbursed 90%
16:25of the total project cost.
16:28Yes, ma'am.
16:29So 10% is basically your debt to them.
16:32Yes, ma'am.
16:34Not only in Baras Rizal,
16:36you can see the abandoned,
16:38dilapidated and damaged houses.
16:43In Naikavite,
16:44Parkstone Estates can also be found.
16:49In the document we got from NHA Region 4,
16:52this project has 2,300 units.
16:56But as of September 2024,
16:59only 630 units are occupied.
17:04July 18, 2022,
17:06the date of completion of the project
17:08and the value is more than Php 1 billion.
17:14One of the residents of Parkstone Estates
17:17is the family of Roselle Orgonia.
17:19March 2021,
17:21when her family moved
17:23from a village in Binondo, Manila.
17:26Inside the unit, it is okay.
17:29But our electricity,
17:31it's a month before we installed it.
17:33The water is smelly.
17:36It's like a mess.
17:40Php 750 per month is the payment for the first year.
17:44But it will increase in the next 5 years
17:47until the unit's value reaches Php 400,000.
17:52Roselle accompanied us
17:54to look for some vacant units in the house.
17:57This place is 30 plus.
18:00This place is also 30 plus.
18:01They are 60 plus.
18:02This is broken.
18:04The unit is broken.
18:05When we moved it,
18:07it's a mess.
18:09It's a mess.
18:10The window is broken.
18:13This is how we installed it.
18:16It's a mess.
18:18We are the only ones who cleaned it.
18:20We filled it with water.
18:23Why are there still many unoccupied housing units
18:27in Parkstone Estates?
18:29NHA Region 4 explains.
18:32These are what we call old inventories.
18:35It was a crossover during the PBBM era.
18:38Now, there are several units
18:41that we are finishing now.
18:44Maybe around 200 units.
18:46We can't change the design
18:49because the contract specifies that it will look like that.
18:54We also interviewed the developer of the housing project.
18:57They called the NHA.
18:58It's good for our awarding
19:01so that we can live here.
19:03Our losses are increasing.
19:04If the house is awarded,
19:06I hope they can live here.
19:07It's a waste.
19:09We also showed to a structural engineer
19:12the housing projects that the reporters visited.
19:16Cracks appearing like this must be checked by the developer,
19:21by the structural engineer
19:22because the vegetation that's growing around unnecessarily
19:26may cause the foundation to move.
19:29It may cause those kinds of cracks.
19:31The house is very exposed
19:34to further deterioration.
19:36First of all, it doesn't have a door.
19:39It can be entered by animals.
19:41And exposed to weather,
19:43the water can spill
19:45and seep into the walls,
19:47columns, and structural elements.
19:49There should be a proper feasibility study
19:52to make sure that there will be people
19:55that will occupy your project.
19:57Otherwise, it's a waste of money.
19:59You don't spend just to have projects.
20:01You spend to make the people comfortable.
20:07According to the United Nations Human Settlements Program,
20:11or UN-HABITAT,
20:12the Philippines has 6.5 million housing backlogs.
20:18To address this,
20:19the government proposed the Pambansang Pabahay
20:22for the Filipino Program, or 4PH.
20:27The government's target is to make 3.2 million housing projects
20:32until 2028.
20:34Currently, there are 535 ongoing housing projects
20:38or equivalent to 1.2 million housing units.
20:42The estimated cost of the project is 1.2 million.
20:46Correct, 1.65 trillion pesos.
20:51The problem is,
20:52there are a lot of Filipino families
20:54who don't have proper housing.
20:56Why are they allowed to live in tents
20:58and are not able to provide for their families?
21:02We are speeding up the construction of the project.
21:07We are also speeding up the transfer of people
21:11so that we can close the project easily.
21:15We are trying our best.
21:18Due to the problems of off-city housing,
21:22one of the government's solutions
21:25is the construction of in-city housing.
21:28This is a condominium-type house
21:31that will cost Php 4,000 per month.
21:35But some say it's not affordable.
21:39What did the government do?
21:41They increased the cost to make it affordable.
21:44They lowered the monthly amortization.
21:46If the monthly amortization is lowered,
21:48the poor will be able to pay.
21:50If they are identified,
21:51it will still go through our site evaluation
21:53if it's allowed or not.
21:55We also have a community-based initiative approach
21:58wherein the community itself
22:00recommends the area where they want to transfer.
22:05However, normally, they choose an expensive one.
22:09Sometimes, the site evaluation falls.
22:13But we have such processes.
22:20There are millions of Filipinos
22:21who don't have decent housing.
22:25But despite this,
22:27there are thousands of houses that are left uninstalled.
22:32The government spent money on the houses.
22:36So it should be monitored
22:39and ensured that it is used properly.
22:43Next Saturday,
22:45a flood control project worth millions of pesos
22:49suddenly collapsed.
22:54I am Mackie Pulido.
22:56I am Dune Veneration.
22:58And these are the reporters of UPO.
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