Governor Arthur Defensor Jr. underscored the importance of community-based and livelihood-centered housing programs as Iloilo aligned its initiatives with the national government’s “Luntiang Bukas” program.
Speaking today during a press conference and in the presence of Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR) Secretary Atty. Juan Miguel Cuna ahead of the official launch of “Handog ng Pangulo: Luntiang Bukas – Pamilyang May Lupa, Komunidad na Luntian, Bukas na Matatag,” Defensor affirmed the province’s strong support for the flagship initiative.
“We are here to affirm our full support to the Luntiang Bukas of President Bongbong Marcos and Secretary Miggy (Cuna). We are also here to sustain our environmental programs,” Defensor said.
The governor emphasized that Iloilo’s housing and environmental efforts are already aligned with the directions set by the national government, particularly the Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR) and the Department of Human Settlements and Urban Development (DHSUD).
“Our housing programs in the province are totally aligned to the programs and the directions of the President Bongbong Marcos, the DENR, the DHSUD, and their aligned agencies. We look forward to more engagements with the national government,” he added.
Central to Defensor’s message was the province’s “Purok Resilience Program,” a localized socialized housing initiative designed to respond to both climate risks and the realities of rural communities.
“The Purok Resilience is our socialized housing program we have just started, which is small-scale. It is barangay-based and a climate change response as well,” Defensor explained. "Ang target beneficiaries natin ang mga nakatira sa danger zones."
He also pointed out that housing strategies in the province must differ from those in urban areas, stressing that relocation far from livelihoods often leads to failed resettlement efforts.
“Sa probinsya, kung magkakaroon ka ng housing program, hindi natin dapat pwedeng ilayo yung mga beneficiaries natin sa lupa na kanilang sinasaka at sa kanilang mga banka because more often than not they are farmers or fisherfolks. So dapat kung saan yung hanapbuhay nila at pamilya nila, dyan sila otherwise hindi nila titirhan," the governor said.
The “Luntiang Bukas” program aims to integrate land distribution, climate-resilient housing, environmental protection, and sustainable livelihood into a unified approach for building resilient communities.
Following the press conference, the launching ceremony highlighted the distribution of 820 land patents to beneficiaries in Western Visayas.
Leading the event was DENR Secretary Cuna, joined by Forest Management Bureau Assistant Director Atty. Ray Thomas Kabigting, DENR Region 6 Regional Executive Director Raul Lorilla, Pag-IBIG Fund CEO Marilene Acosta, Iloilo City Mayor Raisa Treñas, and Defensor.
Its launch in Iloilo City underscored the national government’s confidence in the locality as a model for harmonizing environmental sustainability and inclusive housing development.
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