NAIROBI -- Philippine Department of Human Settlements and Urban Development (DHSUD) Undersecretary Henry L. Yap shared Philippine government initiatives on providing affordable and adequate housing at the High Level Session on Housing, “Achieving universal access to adequate housing through inclusive and stronger multilateralism” on 6 June 2023 during the Second Session of the UN-Habitat Assembly (UNHA-2) in Nairobi.
In his remarks, Undersecretary Yap highlighted the Pambansang Pabahay Para sa Pilipino program to address the housing deficit and eradicate informal settlements in cities by focusing on housing affordability and access to housing finance.
Undersecretary Yap also announced that the Philippines will be hosting its first national conference on sustainable urbanization, the Philippine Urban Forum (PhUF), in October with the theme “Transforming our Cities & Building Resilient Communities.” The forum seeks to encourage and enhance the participation and support of various urban actors and stakeholders in the Philippine New Urban Agenda to promote sustainable urbanization.
In her remarks, UN-Habitat Executive Director Maimunah Mohd Sharif stated that adequate housing is one of the transformative forces that can lead the world to overcome challenges posed by climate change, poverty and inequality. Citing the effects of the COVID-19 pandemic, ED Sharif reiterated that housing is key to build resilience to economic, social, health and environmental shocks.
Other panelists of the High Level Session on Housing included Kenyan Cabinet Secretary of Lands, Public Works, Housing and Urban Development, Hon. Zacharia Mwangi Njeru, Bahrain Minister of Housing and Urban Planning, Hon. Amna Bint Ahmed Al Rumaihi, Mayor Berry Vrbanovic of Kitchener, Canada, LSE Cities of the London School of Economics and Political Science Professor Ricky Burdett, French Development Agency (AFD) Deputy Head of Urban Development, Planning and Housing Division, Ms. Audrey Guiral-Naepels, and the Institute of the National Housing Fund for Workers of Mexico (Infonavit) Director General Carlos Martinez Velazquez.
Exchanging views on national and local experiences, the panelists shared observations ranging from the need to place housing at the center of urban planning and design; approaches to reuse and renovate existing housing stock to address the housing deficit; access to finance, and having multilevel governance that values consultations with actors, including the private sector.
Following the High Level Session, Undersecretary Yap delivered the Philippine national statement at the UNHA-2 Plenary Session, underscoring the country’s commitment to the development of affordable and adequate housing within inclusive, resilient and livable cities through policy reforms, institutional capacity-building and community engagement, including with local governments.
The UN-Habitat is the focal point for all urbanization and human settlement matters within the UN system. The UN Habitat Assembly, its highest decision-making body composed of the 193 member states of the UN, convenes once every four years.
UNHA-2 is being held from 5 to 9 June 2023 in Nairobi, Kenya under the theme “A sustainable urban future through inclusive and effective multilateralism: achieving the Sustainable Development Goals in times of global crises”. (Philippine Embassy in Kenya)
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Photo credit: UN-Habitat photo gallery
