Isko Sells Manila’s Housing Revolution to Real Estate Sector
By Benjamin Cuaresma
Manila Mayor Francisco ‘Isko Moreno’ Domagoso on Wednesday presented what he described as a people-centered housing model before hundreds of real estate stakeholders during the 30th National Convention of the National Real Estate Association and the Department of Human Settlements and Urban Development, declaring that decent shelter should never be treated as a business.
Speaking before developers, brokers, and local officials, Domagoso shared his personal journey from growing up in a makeshift home in Tondo to leading Manila’s ambitious in-city vertical housing program.
The mayor recalled how his mother, who came from Northern Samar to work as a domestic helper in Manila, eventually built a small shanty along Road 10 near Roxas Boulevard just so the family could have a roof over their heads.
“Kapag may bagyo o delubyo, ang mahalaga may masisilungan,” he said, emphasizing that poverty and informal settlements are products of circumstance rather than laziness.
Domagoso described urban squatting as a decades-old “social epidemic” that continues to haunt major cities, saying many poor families simply build homes wherever survival allows.
Among the projects highlighted during his presentation were Binondominium 1, Binondominium 2, and BaseCommunity — housing developments launched during the height of the COVID-19 pandemic despite economic uncertainty.
Instead of slowing down spending during the crisis, Domagoso said Manila chose to invest directly in its people.
The housing units, each measuring 42 square meters with two bedrooms, were intentionally designed to provide privacy between parents and children — something the mayor said he personally understood was missing in cramped informal settlements.
He noted that overcrowded living conditions often contribute to domestic violence, family conflict, and social problems inside poor communities.
Under the program, beneficiaries pay only ₱2,000 monthly for occupancy, while the city government retains ownership of the units.
Domagoso stressed that residents cannot be evicted as long as they continue paying the minimal monthly contribution. He added that all payments made by beneficiaries are fully refundable should they voluntarily surrender the unit.
According to the mayor, the setup prevents beneficiaries from selling government-awarded housing units — a recurring problem in relocation projects dating back to the 1980s where recipients eventually returned to the streets after disposing of their properties.
He said the system was heavily inspired by Singapore’s Housing Development Board model, but with one major difference: the City of Manila permanently owns the housing units.
The mayor also announced that Manila broke ground for additional projects before the close of 2025, including San Lazaro Residences and expanded Binondominium developments expected to rise up to 20 stories.
Funding for the projects, he said, comes through financing support from Landbank of the Philippines and the Development Bank of the Philippines.
Beyond housing, Domagoso also showcased Manila’s parallel investments in public healthcare, including the revival of a catheterization laboratory capable of conducting free angioplasty procedures for residents, the construction of a 10-story fully air-conditioned city hospital, and plans for a Pamantasan ng Lungsod ng Maynila College of Medicine.
For the mayor, however, the biggest reward remains simple: seeing families finally sleep under a secure roof.
Closing his speech, Domagoso challenged local government leaders across the country to stop hoarding public funds and instead spend aggressively on projects that directly improve people’s lives.
“A peso spent today is better spent today than spending the same peso tomorrow,” he said, arguing that delayed public spending only weakens the impact of government service.
ia/xf
