MEDIUM RISE HOUSING

MEDIUM RISE HOUSING

My dear countrymen, I understand that the Department of Human Settlements and Urban Development (DHSUD) is now implementing a policy that gives preference to the development of medium rise housing (MRH) and row housing projects. While I could support both choices, I would personally support the former rather than the latter. What is clear however is that DHSUD is no longer promoting single detached housing (SDH), and I think that is a good policy decision on their part.

As I understand it, DHSUD now prefers MRH buildings because the demand for housing is continuing to grow, and yet the land area for housing is not growing. I say that that is a good policy decision because the more they would support vertical housing, the more agricultural lands that they could save. That is not just a theory, because it is a widely known fact that more and more agricultural lands are being converted to housing projects.

By definition, an MRH project could range between 5 to 10 floors, but the actual range would depend on the building laws of each country. In the Philippines, the height limit for medium rise buildings is more than 10 meters but not more that 18 meters, and that translates to about 4 to 6 floors, depending on the height of each floor. Residential buildings here could be built up to 3 floors without elevators, but beyond that, elevators are already required.

The good news is, MRH projects in the Philippines are required to have their own Materials Recovery Facilities (MRFs), Sewage Treatment Plants (STPs) and Rainwater Collectors (RWCs). The bad news, implementation of the relevant laws are largely ignored, especially if the LGU officials either do not know about these laws or do not care at all. There is a gray area in the implementation of STPs, because they may not be mandatory if there is a centralized sewerage system, but as we already know it, very few LGUs have that.

According to Microsoft Copilot, “the National Building Code of the Philippines (NBCP) does not currently mandate built-in internet connections for buildings. However, there have been discussions and proposals to amend the code to include broadband connectivity as a standard amenity, similar to electricity and water. This would ensure that all new buildings are equipped with the necessary infrastructure for internet access”.

As far as I am concerned however, “Fiber to the Home” (FTTH) should already be required in all MRH buildings, and not only that, but it should also be supplemented by a wireless network that would deliver WI-FI to the whole building, supported by Access Points (APs) that should be strategically placed in “dead spot” areas. Since fiber optic cables (FOCs) are relatively cheap nowadays, the entire MRH could have FOCs going up vertically and going across entire floors horizontally. FTTH service is available from PLDT, Globe, Converge and Sky. Your friend, IKE SENERES/12-06-24/visit my blog senseneres.blogspot.com

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