Victorias city: More than 2,400 Victoriasanons, particularly informal settler families (ISFs) and farm workers, are set to benefit from the national government's continuing efforts to provide safe and decent housing as construction officially commenced for the Victorias Residences on Wednesday. This housing initiative is one of the pilot rental housing projects under President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr.'s Expanded Pambansang Pabahay para sa Pilipino (4PH) Program.
According to Philippines News Agency, Department of Human Settlements and Urban Development (DHSUD) Secretary Jose Ramon Aliling led the actual concrete pouring ceremony, along with the targeted beneficiaries, at the project site in Barangay XIX. This event marked the start of full-scale construction of the housing development. Joining Aliling were DHSUD Senior Undersecretary Eduardo Robles Jr., head of the Expanded 4PH Project Management Office; DHSUD - Negros Island Region OIC-Director Elenita Canete; Victorias City Mayor Abelardo Bantug; and other DHSUD and local government unit officials.
Beneficiaries who attended the ceremony expressed excitement and gratitude as they witnessed the project's transition from planning to construction. They even participated in the concrete pouring, bringing them a step closer to securing decent and affordable homes for their families. The Victorias Residences is among the pilot projects under the rental housing component of the Expanded 4PH Program and will consist of at least four five-story residential buildings designed to provide quality housing options for qualified beneficiaries in the city.
Mayor Bantug thanked President Marcos Jr. and the DHSUD for bringing the project to Victorias City, emphasizing that the housing development will address the needs of families who have long aspired to own or access secure and dignified shelters. The project is part of the administration's broader strategy to expand housing opportunities through innovative and inclusive approaches, particularly for underserved sectors such as informal settler families, minimum-wage earners, and agricultural workers.
Secretary Aliling highlighted that the Expanded 4PH Program goes beyond the construction of housing units by creating communities where Filipino families can live with dignity, security, and access to opportunities. "Alinsunod sa utos ni Pangulong Marcos Jr., layunin nating mabigyan ng disenteng tahanan ang mga pamilyang Pilipino na matagal nang naghihintay ng pagkakataong magkaroon ng maayos na matitirhan. Ang pagsisimula ng konstruksyon sa Victorias Residences ay simula din ng pangarap na unti-unti nating isinasakatuparan," Aliling was quoted as saying in a news release.
Once completed, the Victorias Residences is expected to provide housing opportunities to more than 2,400 residents, further advancing the administration's commitment to making safe, decent, and affordable housing accessible to every Filipino family.
