Tulfo flags ‘palakasan system’ in NHA housing beneficiary selection

MANILA, Philippines — Sen. Raffy Tulfo on Tuesday flagged an alleged “palakasan system” (backer system) in the distribution of housing units under the National Housing Authority (NHA).

According to the senator, beneficiaries should undergo thorough vetting to ensure that those receiving government housing are qualified.

During the Senate committee on finance’s hearing on the proposed 2027 budget of the Department of Human Settlements and Urban Development (DHSUD) and its attached agencies, Tulfo said he had received complaints that some housing beneficiaries were allegedly local government officials’ allies or supporters.

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“Talamak daw ang palakasan, karamihan daw sa nabibigyan ng pabahay ay mga taga-munisipyo o dabarkads ni chairman,” Tulfo said, citing feedback from netizens and emails sent to his office.

(Apparently, the backer system is rampant, with many of those receiving housing being municipal employees or the chairman’s allies,)

NHA General Manager Joeben Tai said the agency’s housing programs include resettlement and calamity housing, with beneficiary lists initially coming from local government units (LGUs).

READ: SMDC joins Pag-Ibig’s expanded 4PH housing-push

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Tulfo, however, said this is where it gets problematic. He said the NHA should have its own system to vet the names submitted by LGUs and ensure that political connections do not influence the selection.

According to Tai, NHA’s beneficiary lists already undergo validation involving other government agencies, depending on the housing program.

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For calamity housing, he said the lists are validated by the Office of Civil Defense (OCD), while other beneficiaries may be identified through agencies such as the Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD). 

Tulfo then called for a dedicated unit that would conduct thorough vetting of beneficiaries.

“Sa susunod na hearing, gusto kong marinig na meron nang unit dedicated para gumawa talaga ng thorough vetting,” he said.

(For the next hearing, I want to hear that there is already a dedicated unit tasked with conducting thorough vetting,)

‘Pasalo’ system

The senator also flagged the practice of selling or transferring housing rights, saying this could undermine the NHA’s goal of providing homes to qualified low-income beneficiaries.

Tai said some beneficiaries have been seen selling their housing rights for around P200,000 to P300,000, prompting the NHA to cancel the transactions and remove unauthorized occupants.

Asked how the NHA monitors such transactions, Tai said its personnel conduct weekly visits to beneficiaries when collecting their monthly amortization payments, which range from around P600 to P800 for NHA row houses.

Rising housing payments

Moreover, Tulfo also cited a complaint from a housing beneficiary who said monthly payments had become too high, allegedly increasing from around P3,900 to P7,000.

DHSUD Secretary Jose Ramon “Ping” Aliling clarified that the concern may possibly refer to the 4PH or Pambansang Pabahay para sa Pilipino program, not an NHA housing program.

Aliling said 4PH housing is developed by the private sector, with buyers obtaining housing loans through the Pag-IBIG Fund.

He said borrowers may choose between level amortization, which has a fixed payment, and graduated amortization, which starts at a lower monthly payment and gradually increases.

He said the P7,000 figure likely referred to the default level amortization, while the graduated option starts at roughly half that amount before increasing over time.

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Finance committee chairperson Sen. JV Ejercito, meanwhile, asked the NHA to provide data on the number of beneficiaries who had been removed for selling or renting out their housing units. /mr