From 4Ps to condo owners: Housing drive hands Davao families their first homes

Manila: Seven beneficiaries of the government’s conditional cash transfer (CCT) program, known as "4Ps" formally received socialized condominium units on Thursday (May 21, 2026) under the administration’s flagship housing initiative.

This marks what officials described as a "milestone" in President Ferdinand Marcos Jr.’s expanded low-cost housing program.

The turnover ceremony was held at People’s Ville in Calinan district, where recipients from the Pantawid Pamilyang Pilipino Program, or 4Ps, were awarded units under the Expanded Pambansang Pabahay para sa Pilipino Program, also known as 4PH.

The project was developed through a partnership between the national government and the Davao City government as part of broader efforts to address the country’s long-standing housing backlog, estimated by government agencies at more than 6 million units nationwide.

Officials said the beneficiaries would pay affordable monthly amortizations for the condominium units, allowing low-income families to gradually gain ownership of permanent homes.

The housing turnover comes as the Marcos administration accelerates implementation of the 4PH program, which seeks to build large-scale vertical housing communities near urban centers and employment hubs.

The drive was launched as part of the administration’s promise to make home ownership more accessible to minimum-wage earners, informal settlers and other vulnerable sectors.

Located in Calinan, People’s Ville spans about 14.23 hectares and is designed to become one of the largest socialized housing developments in Mindanao.

The project consists of 72 five-story condominium buildings containing about 7,200 housing units.

The development also includes roughly two hectares of open spaces allocated for parks, playgrounds and community recreation areas.

Government officials have promoted condominium-style socialised housing as a solution to land shortages in highly urbanized areas, particularly in cities where horizontal housing projects are becoming increasingly difficult because of rising land prices.

The Philippines has long struggled with overcrowding, informal settlements and housing shortages, especially in major urban areas such as Metro Manila, Cebu City and Davao City.

The 4Ps beneficiaries who received units Thursday were among the first low-income families formally settled in the project, according to local officials.

The Pantawid Pamilyang Pilipino Program remains the country’s largest social protection initiative, providing cash assistance to poor households in exchange for meeting education and health requirements for children.

Housing advocates have welcomed efforts to expand affordable housing access but have also urged the government to ensure long-term affordability, transportation access, livelihood opportunities and adequate public services in new housing sites.