MANILA, Philippines — President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. on Tuesday led the ceremonial turnover of 333 housing units at Disiplina Village in Barangay Arkong Bato, Valenzuela City, providing new homes for informal settler families who had been living along waterways and other danger zones.
The housing units are located in seven low-rise buildings and were developed for families previously residing along the Tullahan River and waterways leading to Manila Bay, according to the Presidential Communications Office and reports from GMA News.
The turnover comes as the government continues its push to relocate families from areas vulnerable to flooding and other hazards while expanding its Expanded Pambansang Pabahay para sa Pilipino (4PH) Program.
Marcos: Homes should be a place of safety
During the ceremony, Marcos highlighted the importance of providing families with secure homes, particularly as Metro Manila continues to face flooding risks during periods of heavy rain.
He said a home should be the place where families can seek shelter and where children can live without fear during dangerous weather conditions.
The President described the Arkong Bato project as part of the government’s relocation efforts for informal settler families, including those living in frequently flooded areas.
The government says the new community is intended to give beneficiaries access to safer and more decent living conditions. PTV News reported that the housing site is also near schools and health facilities, which could make basic services more accessible to the beneficiary families.
But thousands of families remain in danger zones
Despite the latest turnover, the housing milestone also underscores the scale of Valenzuela’s remaining relocation challenge.
Valenzuela Mayor Wes Gatchalian said 5,549 individuals are now living in Disiplina Village, but 3,306 informal settlers remain along the Tullahan River, waterways and other identified danger zones.
That means the delivery of the 333 units represents an important step, but it does not yet resolve the city’s wider need for safe relocation housing.
For families still living beside waterways, the danger becomes especially serious during prolonged rainfall, when rising water can quickly threaten homes and livelihoods.
Arkong Bato project has been expanding since 2023
The Disiplina Village Arkong Bato project is not new. Marcos led its groundbreaking in March 2023, when the development was originally envisioned as a much larger housing complex.
Earlier plans called for 20 buildings to accommodate informal settler families.
By February 2026, the Valenzuela government reported the inauguration of the first phases of the project. Manila Bulletin reported that 336 housing units across seven four-storey buildings had been completed at that stage, while the full development is expected to eventually reach 20 buildings and 960 units.
The slight difference between the previously reported 336-unit figure and Tuesday’s 333-unit turnover appears to reflect the specific batch of units being formally turned over to beneficiaries on September 15. The current turnover figure reported by GMA, PTV and Daily Tribune is 333 units, so that is the figure used for this report.
Part of the government’s expanded 4PH housing push
The Arkong Bato development forms part of the government’s Expanded 4PH housing initiative, with the Department of Human Settlements and Urban Development (DHSUD) and National Housing Authority among the agencies involved in the housing effort.
Daily Tribune reported that the Arkong Bato project is designed for 960 units, with the first nine buildings under various phases accounting for the initial completed units. The relocation of beneficiaries began in April 2026.
The broader Expanded 4PH program has also moved beyond traditional vertical housing. DHSUD said the expanded program allows qualified beneficiaries to access different housing modalities, including vertical housing, house-and-lot units and lot-only options.
Disiplina Village has a longer history in Valenzuela
The housing effort also builds on Valenzuela City’s longer-running Disiplina Village program.
The Philippine News Agency reported in June that Disiplina Village had been recognized as a model convergence program for poverty reduction, with the initiative tracing its roots to the city’s efforts to relocate informal settler families after the devastating effects of Typhoon Ondoy in 2009.
The Arkong Bato development is the city’s fourth in-city relocation project, following housing initiatives in Ugong, Bignay and Lingunan, according to earlier reports.
PNA also reported that the completed Arkong Bato buildings contain units ranging from 24 to 30 square meters in floor area.
The bigger challenge: closing the housing gap
The Valenzuela turnover comes as the Marcos administration continues to adjust its national housing strategy.
DHSUD has revised its overall housing target for the Marcos administration to approximately 1.133 million units, significantly below the earlier 6.5-million figure. Officials explained that the previous number incorporated both the existing housing backlog and projected future needs.
The government has also reported substantial progress through a combination of direct housing construction and other interventions, including Pag-IBIG financing and community-based housing programs.
But the continuing presence of thousands of informal settlers in danger zones shows why housing delivery remains a major challenge in Metro Manila.
For Valenzuela, the immediate priority is clear: move more families away from flood-prone waterways and hazardous areas while ensuring that relocation comes with access to schools, healthcare, transportation and livelihood opportunities.
The 333 homes turned over Tuesday offer a new start for hundreds of families.
But with 3,306 informal settlers still identified in danger zones, the question now is how quickly the remaining families can also move into homes where they can finally say: this is ours.
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