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By Beatriz Marie D. Cruz, Correspondent
THE PHILIPPINE administration ought to amend its housing policies as an increasing number of Filipinos reside with extended families — an indication that conventional family dynamics are evolving, according to the Philippines Institute for Development Studies (PIDS).
Approximately 29% of Filipino households do not conform to the traditional nuclear model anymore, as more relatives opt for cohabitation to split housing and other expenses, PIDS Supervising Research Specialist Tatum P. Ramos shared during a recent webinar.
“They have chosen to unite with their relatives within a household to obtain support in nurturing their own family or [to manage] living and housing costs,” she stated, referencing a PIDS announcement made on Wednesday.
A PIDS document pointed to a notable correlation between wealth and the propensity to inhabit extended households.
“An extended family arrangement provides a chance for resource-sharing and offers assistance for working young adult women who may not have the same availability for household management activities as they once did,” PIDS noted.
Escalating housing costs, particularly in Metro Manila and major urban areas, have compelled families to share living accommodations with relatives, Michael L. Ricafort, chief economist at Rizal Commercial Banking Corp., mentioned in a Viber message.
“There’s also a] scarcity of mass transit or train systems that would enable more Filipinos to reside further from central business zones to nearby provinces where housing is more affordable,” he added.
“The limited accessibility of housing in the Philippines leads to a decline in household formation, accompanied by an increase in extended and multi-family setups along with nonfamily housing arrangements (living independently or with nonrelatives),” Ms. Ramos and her collaborators Marife M. Ballesteros and Jenica A. Ancheta expressed in the research.
“Government initiatives to tackle this matter through a market-driven approach should be reassessed, and housing affordability challenges must be thoroughly investigated,” they included.
Housing costs in the Philippines rose by 6.7% in the fourth quarter of 2024 compared to the previous year, as reported by the Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas.
Mary Racelis, an anthropology professor at the University of the Philippines, stated that housing policies need to extend beyond theoretical models to engage with the real-life experiences of the bottom 60% of the populace — those who are underserved and excluded from formal housing markets.
She emphasized the necessity of understanding the economic situations of the impoverished to assist in formulating sustainable and inclusive housing initiatives.
“We should acknowledge that informal settlers are not the issue; they are part of the solution,” she conveyed during the webinar, emphasizing that informal settlers are not simply passive beneficiaries.
Despite the broad participation in housing funds like the Home Development Mutual Fund (Pag-IBIG), the uptake of government support for housing finance remains minimal, stated Kevin Godoy, chief development specialist at the Department of Economy, Planning, and Development.
“Only 4% have government support as a financing source… considering that Pag-IBIG counted 16 million members in 2024,” he highlighted.
He pointed out the significance of transport infrastructure, noting that lengthy commutes rather than urban congestion alone pose a significant obstacle to homeownership and household formation.
Mr. Godoy also advocated for the establishment of a national rental housing program.
“We’re the sole nation in Southeast Asia that lacks a national program for public rental,” he noted, citing how local authorities have been compelled to devise rental solutions independently in the absence of a national framework.
The Philippines is confronted with a housing shortfall of 6.5 million units, which could escalate to 22 million by 2040 if not remedied, according to the United Nations Human Settlements Program.
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