Senator Joseph Victor Ejercito on Tuesday said he will file a bill that aims to build houses that will serve as temporary homes for informal settlers and workers based in urban areas nationwide.

Ejercito made the statement during the joint hearing of the Senate Committees on Urban Planning, Housing and Resettlement, Social Justice, Welfare and Rural Development; and Finance, saying Metro Manila and Cebu will be the pilot project areas for his planned bill.

The project, according to Ejercito, will also serve as shelter to those displaced by natural and man-made disasters and will also solve the housing problems and at the same time support the government’s housing program.

“I will file a bill, Rental housing bill for employees in Metro Manila and other urban centers, kasi pag retiro nila uuwi din sa probinsya, so iba naman ang mag rerenta ng unit” (They will return to the province, upon retirement, so others will now rent with the vacated unit) Ejercito said adding Valenzuela City already has a similar program.

He also urged the private sector specially those engaged in housing, and construction sectors to help the government and, in return, they will received tax incentives.

The Marcos administration is aiming to build some 6.15 million housing units or one million units per year that will benefit 30 million individuals under the Pambansang Pabahay para sa Pilipino (4PH) Program. (PNA)