Builders’ group backs housing czar’s anti-corruption drive

The Construction Project Management Association of the Philippines (CPMAP) has thrown its full support behind Housing Secretary Jose Ramon Aliling’s zero-tolerance stance on corruption, hailing his leadership as a boost to transparency in the housing and real estate sector.

In a statement released Friday through the Department of Human Settlements and Urban Development (DHSUD), CPMAP president Eduardo Hitosis lauded Aliling’s firm position amid controversies surrounding alleged anomalies in billion-peso flood control projects.

“Your head-on and straightforward stand against this social cancer is an inspiration to us — a reminder that there is still hope for our nation and that there are still clean and committed public servants,” Hitosis said.

He added that Aliling’s advocacy reassures the sector that housing programs are in capable and trustworthy hands. “With you at the helm, we commit to partner with DHSUD and work hand-in-hand with the government,” he said.

Since assuming leadership of DHSUD in May, Aliling has pursued reforms anchored on the agency’s 8-Point Agenda under the Marcos administration’s Bagong Pilipinas campaign. These include a crackdown on corruption, streamlining and digitalizing processes, and expanding the flagship Pambansang Pabahay para sa Pilipino (4PH) Program.

The reforms have gained momentum, with at least 42 private developers pledging to build more than 250,000 housing units under the expanded 4PH. Aliling has also reached out to urban poor groups and civil society to ensure inclusive, participatory housing policies.

He earlier urged private developers to join the government in rejecting corruption “even in its slightest form” and to support President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr.’s broader push for good governance.