A vlogger claimed that the “Marcos wealth” will be used to fund the new administration’s Pambansang Pabahay Para sa Pilipino program. This is false.
Posted on Oct. 2, the incorrect four-minute Facebook (FB) video carried the caption:
“Goodnews! Marcos Wealth ipopondo na para sa sambayanang Pilipino! 6M units pabahay ni PBBM nag-umpisa na (Marcos Wealth will be used for the Filipino people! 6M housing units program of PBBM has started)!”
It was referring to President Ferdinand Marcos’ housing program that aims to build six million housing units within the next six years to address the housing gap.
The vlogger claimed that the Marcoses have gold investments in more than 170 banks, suggesting that this will fund the housing program. Taxes, allegedly, will not be enough to support the national initiative.
At the 01:56 minute mark, the vlogger said:
“Maraming nagtatanong kung kakayanin. Kasi po kung tax po ang aasahan diyan, wala po, hindi kakayanin ‘yan. Imagine ha, sa loob ng 40 years, 40 years, naging pangulo pa yung mga Aquino niyan, umabot lang po ng two million na housing units po ang nagawa ng gobyerno. Two million sa 40 years. ‘Di ba napakaliit lang? Kung ikumpara po kay pangulong BBM, six million units sa loob lang po ng six years. Sa tingin niyo po ba kakayanin ito ng tax lang?”
(A lot of people are asking if this is possible. Because if it will rely on tax, no, it will not be possible. Imagine, within 40 years, 40 years, even the Aquinos became presidents, the government was only able to build two million housing units. Two million in 40 years. Isn’t it too small? Compared to President BBM, six million within the next six years. Do you think the tax will be enough?)
The vlogger also said the administration will not face funding problems because it has the “Marcos gold.”
These claims are false. No Marcos wealth has been allocated for this priority project. The president has made no reference to this and has in fact denied the existence of the so-called gold in their possession. (Read: VERA FILES FACT CHECK: NO alleged ‘Marcos gold’ will be used for public spending)
The Department of Human Settlements and Urban Development (DHSUD) has asked for P36 billion to fund the interest subsidies for the first million units to be built in the first year of the housing program.
DHSUD also works with key shelter agencies, government financial institutions and private banks to facilitate the construction of these housing units.
The video was uploaded more than a week after the groundbreaking and memorandum-signing between DHSUD and the Quezon City government for a housing project in Barangay Batasan Hills.
The FB video posted by vlogger JaLyn Charita (page created on March 22, 2020) has garnered 45,000 views, 5,900 reactions, 389 comments and 954 shares. It was reposted on their YouTube channel JaLyn Charita Talks (created on April 29, 2020).
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(Editor’s Note: VERA Files has partnered with Facebook to fight the spread of disinformation. Find out more about this partnership and our methodology.)
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