“Home is the starting place of love, hope and dreams,” the singer Lana Del Rey once said. It’s no different for us Filipinos, which is why part of the great Filipino dream is to have one’s own home. The ultimate dream is home ownership, not a rented bungalow or a few square meters of space, for which one is burdened with monthly rental payments.
Unfortunately, it remains a challenge to afford a house here in the Philippines, not just for those in the lower-income bracket but also for the middle class. Some people in these economic brackets live with their parents or, in some cases, with in-laws from hell, because they can’t afford to buy their own place. Many live in rented homes, but this makes it difficult for the household to set aside savings for the future because a large portion of their salary goes to monthly rent.
Even our Department of Human Settlements and Urban Development (DHSUD) is finding it daunting to meet its original plan of building six million homes by 2028 to address the housing backlog.
Opportunity for the government
I recently sat down with renowned Filipino architect Gilbert Yu, who shared with me the success story of his pioneering build-to-own concept, which he developed in the early 2000s to the joy of happy and satisfied homebuyers, some of them first-time homeowners.
I realized that this is something Arch. Yu can revive in partnership with the government, providing the current administration a golden opportunity to help more Filipinos afford their own homes.
Esta historia es de la edición November 14, 2024 de The Philippine Star.
Comience su prueba gratuita de Magzter GOLD de 7 días para acceder a miles de historias premium seleccionadas y a más de 9,000 revistas y periódicos.
Ya eres suscriptor ? Conectar
Esta historia es de la edición November 14, 2024 de The Philippine Star.
Comience su prueba gratuita de Magzter GOLD de 7 días para acceder a miles de historias premium seleccionadas y a más de 9,000 revistas y periódicos.
Ya eres suscriptor? Conectar
ALL OF BLUE
Color is the primary language of painting, the essential spirit of the medium. Minimalist artists have long considered this gospel truth: strip a painting to its core, and what remains is color. Yet, color is far from a mere visual phenomenon; it is a conduit for emotion and psychology, evoking ideas, memories, and profound feelings. Among the spectrum of hues, blue holds a particularly captivating allure—a color steeped in history, rarity, and meaning.
A DYNAMIC GROUP OF JOURNALISTS
It was my seventh straight year to serve as chair of the board of judges for the 17th Brightleaf Agriculture Journalism Awards.
When practicality meets playfulness in fashion
On Nov. 11, event curator (and good friend) Anna Amigo invited me to the press launch of Yoya, a clothing line that opened a new branch at Shangri-La Plaza Mall.
ENRIQUE GIL READY TO SHOW UNSEEN SIDES OF HIMSELF IN 'STRANGE FREQUENCIES'
ENRIQUE GIL, THE ACTOR, IS entering into a narrative world, where he also takes on the role of an amateur ghosthunter in \"Strange Frequencies: Taiwan Killer Hospital.\"
Gary V, Regine, Vice lend support to BINI
The \"Nation's Girl Group\" BINI is set to hold a repeat of the \"Grand BINIverse\" concert, which is slated on Feb. 15, 2025 at the Philippine Arena in Bulacan.
Sweden's continuing support for Phl
Andreas Carlson, Sweden's minister for infrastructure and housing, and Swedish banker and head of the Wallenberg Sphere Marcus Wallenberg, quietly flew into town last week to reaffirm Sweden's continuing support for the Philippines and to strengthen Sweden's commitment to long-term collaborations, focusing on sustainable development and digitalization.
Foundever® bags Great Place to Work in Phl certification
Foundever®, a global leader in the customer experience (CX) industry, has been officially certified as Great Place to Work® in the Philippines by a global authority on workplace culture, employee experience and the leadership behaviors proven to deliver market-leading revenue, employee retention and increased innovation.
Auto sales seen speeding past 500k
Philippine vehicle sales may hit a record-high of 500,000 units next year, driven by election-related spending and low interest rates, according to an industry official.
Institutional failure
Never been a fan of congressional investigations, but the current House investigations are making public things that would otherwise only be whispered about.
Buskowitz Energy readies 30 MW solar projects
Solar power firm Buskowitz Energy Inc. (BEI) is further expanding its solar portfolio with more projects coming on stream, positioning itself for a potential public debut in the medium term.
