MANILA — The government is eyeing to build mid-rise or high-rise units instead of row houses for the Philippines’ housing program for indigent families, President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. said Monday.

The Philippines has a housing backlog of 6.5 million houses, the President said in a speech after awarding several housing units to National Housing Authority beneficiaries.

“Siguro mas efficient kung gagawa tayo ng mid-rise na tinatawag… baka puwede pa nating pataasin, gawing high rise na,” he said.

“Ngunit ito ay case to case kaya pag-aaralan pa natin ito,” he said.

The Department of Human Settlements and Urban Development (DHSUD) is mandated to ensure that government housing sites will be situated in areas with adequate facilities, Marcos said.

“Dapat ang travel time mula bahay hanggang trabaho o eskuwelahan ay hindi lalampas sa isang oras,” he said.

“Dapat may malapit na palengke o maliit na mall na mapapamilihan,” he said.

While Marcos’ vertical housing plan has yet to be finalized, the government will continue to build row houses with some 30,000 units distributed in 13 regions today.

The units awarded to recepients are as follows:

• NCR - 742 units
• Region 1 - 382 units
• Region 2 - 160 units
• Region 3 - 3,525 units
• Region 4 - 18,000 units
• Region 5 - 2,503 units
• Region 6 - 289 units
• Region 7 - 442 units
• Region 8 - 1,183 units
• Region 9 - 976 units
• Region 10 - 765 units
• Region 11 - 1,831 units
• Region 12 - 200

In Cavite, Marcos visited the Parkstones Residences housing development where he instructed local officials to further develop nearby areas to improve the quality of living of relocatees.

“Tiyakin natin na bibigyan din natin sila ng pagkakataon na makapaghanapbuhay at magamit ang kanilang mga kakayanan para sa tuloy-tuloy na pag-unlad,” he said.

Cavite Rep. Lani Mercado Revilla cautioned beneficiaries of the housing project against selling or renting the government-built properties.

“Wag niyo po ibebenta ang mga tahanan na ito o mga rights dahil doon po kayo magkakaproblema sa mga papeles,” she said.

“May mga ilegalidad din kayong ginagawa kapag binebenta ninyo ang inyong mga tahanan dahil hindi yan allowed by law,” she said, noting that those who sell their government-subsidized units would no longer be eligible to receive another unit.

Beneficiaries of units in Naic, Cavite will pay at least P600 monthly for the first five years since the turnover of the property.

The amortization will increase every 5 years, and they are expected to fully own the property after 30 years, according to information from the NHA.

Each of the 26-square meter, 1 bed-room unit in Naic is worth P558,770, data from the NHA showed.

“Ito ay pamana ng national government sa inyo na mapapamana niyo pa sa susunod na henerasyon ng inyong mga pamilya,” Mercado Revilla said.

The local government plans to develop an export processing zone in Cavite to open more employment opportunities for housing beneficiaries here, she said.

“Tayuan natin ng mga factories para yung mga titira dito ay magtratrabaho na doon,” she said.

The government initially plans to invite tile manufacturers and makers of other construction fixtures, she said.

The government earlier set a target of 1 million housing units built annually in the next 6 years.