PASILONG: Iloilo City ties housing to jobs, scholarships

By Rjay Zuriaga Castor

ILOILO CITY – More than providing families with a roof over their heads, the Iloilo City government is positioning housing as a key tool in its efforts to reduce poverty and build more self-sustaining communities.

The city government on Wednesday, Aug. 12, held the grand launch of PASILONG, or Pabalay para sa Pamilyang Ilonggo, a program that links beneficiaries to livelihood opportunities, basic services, community development, and land-tenure assistance.

The event served as a more formal introduction to PASILONG, which was initiated at the start of the mayor’s term last year and has since been presented publicly through consultations, events, and groundbreaking activities.

“We have to break the cycle of poverty […] We are not only providing housing programs, but also integrating livelihood programs. To further help break the cycle of poverty, we have also expanded our scholarship programs for members of our homeowners’ associations,” Mayor Raisa Treñas-Chu said.

“When every Ilonggo family has a safe, decent and stable home, we build not only better families, but also stronger communities and a stronger, more progressive Iloilo City,” she added.

Five major housing projects are currently being implemented under the PASILONG program.

These include Batiano Village, which will provide 173 housing units in Barangays West Habog-Habog and San Juan in Molo for fire victims and families living in danger zones.

Also under construction is the Iloilo Residences Rental Housing Project in Sambag, Jaro, with more than 360 vertical units.

In San Isidro, Jaro, the USWAG 4PH Condominium Complex is planned to have 1,677 units, while Westville Residences in Barangay Hibao-an, Mandurriao, will provide 86 homes through a private-sector partnership.

The projects add to the 240 units under the existing USWAG Residential Complex in San Isidro, Jaro, which are intended for teachers and uniformed personnel.

The USWAG 4PH Condominium Complex, valued at PHP 2.54 billion, broke ground in May 2025 and will consist of 13 ten-storey buildings developed by Eon Realty and Development Corporation in partnership with the city government. It is the first housing project in the country implemented under a public-private partnership scheme within the 4PH program.

The Iloilo Residences Rental Housing Project, valued at PHP 640 million and funded through DHSUD escrow funds, will consist of two seven-story buildings with 181 units each, developed by Muntinlupa City-based Thaison Builder and Developer Inc. Each unit is designed with a floor area of 27 square meters.

“We are allocating units for marginalized sectors. But it is also time to give opportunities to our working class — to Ilonggos who work hard for their families but still cannot afford to build a home of their own,” Treñas-Chu said.

The USWAG Residential Complex and USWAG 4PH Condominium Complex are already available under a rent-to-own scheme, according to the mayor.

Treñas-Chu stressed, however, that PASILONG is not limited to housing.

She said the city plans to strengthen relocation communities by providing livelihood opportunities, organizing homeowners’ associations, improving access to basic services, and developing facilities such as markets, livelihood centers, and barangay health centers.

Treñas-Chu said the city has already identified an area in San Isidro for a possible livelihood facility and health center, as part of efforts to ensure that relocation sites have access to services and economic opportunities.

She noted that the PASILONG program has assisted more than 2,000 households and families in its first year.

The city government is also banking on nearly 30,000 square meters of additional land for the development of more than 2,000 vertical and low-cost housing units.

Under the national Pambansang Pabahay Para sa Pilipino, or 4PH, program, the Department of Human Settlements and Urban Development (DHSUD) prioritizes in-city, high-density and vertical housing development, while providing interest and other subsidies intended to reduce beneficiaries’ monthly amortization.

From relocation to community building

Iloilo City Local Housing Office head Peter Millare said the PASILONG program represents a shift from traditional housing and relocation programs toward a more comprehensive approach focused on building sustainable communities.

He stressed that the city government hopes to transform its relocation sites from isolated housing communities into self-sustaining neighborhoods where residents have access not only to homes, but also to livelihood, services, and opportunities for long-term economic stability.

“Moving away from traditional, isolated resettlement, PASILONG introduces a holistic ecosystem focusing on community building with immediate socioeconomic support,” he said.

The city currently manages 46 active relocation and resettlement sites and has organized and registered 63 homeowners’ associations under the DHSUD.

These associations are supported by six federations and one unified confederation.

To strengthen community organizations, the city has conducted capability-building and training programs covering parliamentary procedure, mediation, financial record-keeping, and cooperative development.

Millare said the city has also allocated PHP 5.8 million for livelihood packages for homeowners’ associations, while helping communities access additional capitalization support through the Department of Social Welfare and Development’s Sustainable Livelihood Program.

The city has likewise organized 27 youth organizations across relocation communities as part of efforts to develop the next generation of community leaders.

“We are standing at the dawn of a housing revolution in Iloilo City […] The old mindset that housing is just a roof and walls is outdated. Genuine housing provides dignity, hope, and a future for every Ilonggo family,” he said.

The city’s approach also reflects the broader shift in national housing policy toward sustainable, beneficiary-centered communities, with the DHSUD’s expanded 4PH framework incorporating horizontal developments, rental and incremental housing, and community-based housing solutions.

The city government and the DHSUD led a ceremonial concrete-pouring in May for the Iloilo Residences and USWAG 4PH projects, with turnover of the first units targeted for 2027.