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By Beatriz Marie D. Cruz, <\/b>Correspondent<\/i><\/p>\n
THE PHILIPPINE administration ought to amend its housing policies as an increasing number of Filipinos reside with extended families \u2014 an indication that conventional family dynamics are evolving, according to the Philippines Institute for Development Studies (PIDS).<\/p>\n
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.<\/p>\n
\u201cThey 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,\u201d she stated, referencing a PIDS announcement made on Wednesday.<\/p>\n
A PIDS document pointed to a notable correlation between wealth and the propensity to inhabit extended households.<\/p>\n
\u201cAn 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,\u201d PIDS noted.<\/p>\n
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.<\/span><\/p>\n \u201cThere\u2019s 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,\u201d he added.<\/p>\n \u201cThe 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),\u201d Ms. Ramos and her collaborators Marife M. Ballesteros and Jenica A. Ancheta expressed in the research.<\/span><\/p>\n \u201cGovernment initiatives to tackle this matter through a market-driven approach should be reassessed, and housing affordability challenges must be thoroughly investigated,\u201d they included.<\/p>\n 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.<\/p>\n 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 \u2014 those who are underserved and excluded from formal housing markets.<\/p>\n She emphasized the necessity of understanding the economic situations of the impoverished to assist in formulating sustainable and inclusive housing initiatives. <\/span><\/p>\n \u201cWe should acknowledge that informal settlers are not the issue; they are part of the solution,\u201d she conveyed during the webinar, emphasizing that informal settlers are not simply passive beneficiaries.<\/p>\n