PRESIDENT Rodrigo Duterte has signed a joint resolution of Congress authorizing the National Housing Authority (NHA) to award housing units to qualified beneficiaries other than the members of the state forces.

The President signed Joint Resolution 2 on May 9, a copy of which was released by Malacañang on Wednesday, May 16, or exactly a week after the document was inked.

Under the joint resolution, Duterte allowed qualified beneficiaries to occupy housing units that are either unawarded, not yet occupied, surrendered by respective recipients, or no longer granted to awardees.

Qualified beneficiaries include "low-salaried" employees in the public sector and undividuals who belong to the "lowest 30 percent of the urban income-earners."

The NHA supervises the granting of housing units intended for members of the Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP), the Philippine National Police (PNP), Bureau of Fire Protection (BFP), Bureau of Jail Management and Penology (BJMP), and Bureau of Corrections (BuCor).

"The housing need faced by the country is too huge to be ignored and it will, without doubt, serve public good and welfare if the aforestated housing units in the AFP/PNP/BFP/BJMP/BuCor Housing Projects are awarded by the NHA to low-salaried government employees and other qualified beneficiaries, giving priority to those belonging to the lowest 30 percent of the urban income-earners," the President stated.

The joint resolution was passed by the Senate as Senate Joint Resolution 8 on December 11, 2017, and adopted by the House of Representatives as an amendment to House Joint Resolution 15 on January 17, 2018. (Ruth Abbey Gita/SunStar Philippines)