An Analysis of the Parameters which Affect

the Expandability and Flexibility of

Socialized Housing
Case Study: Subdivisions on the Eastern part of Metro Manila

Charlie P. Bello
Associate Professor
Institute of Architecture and Fine Arts, Far Eastern University,
Philippines

Introduction
To provide an affordable housing is a gargantuan problem especially in the
developing countries. Partly, this problem is due to the ratio of the fund allotted to
finance the development of socialize housing and those families needing the
funding to access the housing.
To own a house is a part of the social status of the Filipinos. It is a showcase of
the individual personality and the standard of living of the Filipino family. The
collective personality of the Filipino family is imparted in the design of the house
structure including the personality of the designer. The amount of money involved
in the procurement of the lot and the construction of the house including its
maintenance and improvements is a gauge of the standard of living of the family.
This paper attempts to describe the processes in the determination of the
parameters that affects the expandability and flexibility of socialized housing in
the Philippines. The study will further analyze the weights of the individual
factors and finally to derive an equation that will rate the efficiency of the
designed and constructed socialized housing units. The researcher envisions that
the paper will open opportunities to researches relating to floor and lot area ratio

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Bello, Charlie P.

and building densities that will promote sustainable development and the
development of an efficient and economical structural system that is flexible.

1 Shelter Situation Analysis

1.1 Basic General Data

Geography and Administration

The Philippines is an archipelago comprising of more than 7100 islands. The

country lies on the southeastern coast of Asia and surrounded by two big bodies
of water, the Pacific Ocean to the east and the China Sea to the west.
Geographically, the country is 4° 23’ north to 21° 25’ north latitude and 116° east
to 127° east longitude.1 The land area of the Philippines is 300,000 sq. m. and the
climate is hot and humid.2

The archipelagic country is divided into three main groups of island. The
biggest of the group is Luzon with Metro Manila as its main city. At the middle is
Visayas, comprising of scattered group of islands, and the main city is
Metropolitan Cebu. Mindanao is the southern most group with Metro Davao as its
main city.

The 1987 Philippine Constitution advocates for a democratic system

wherein the powers rest on the three co equal government branches; the Executive
branch is headed by the president, the Legislative branch or the Congress is
divided into the upper house or the senate and having 24 members and the lower
house with 250 members, the Judicial branch, the highest body is the Supreme
Court with 14 members and headed by the Chief Justice.
The members of the executive and the legislative branch are elected by the
people to serve for a period of six years without re-election while the members of
the Supreme Court are sworn in by the president from nominations coming from
the Judicial Bar Council (JBC) to serve the court till they retire. 1

1 NARIA
2 NSO
 An Analysis of the Parameters which influence the Expandability and Flexibility of Socialized Housing

Demography and Health

The Philippines recorded a population of 84.241 million as of 2005 the NSO

census record. The population as annual growth rate of 2.04% from the period of
2000 to 2007. The population of Metro Manila is 11553427 accounting to 13.04%
of the national population. The present population density in Metro Manila is
19379 persons per square kilometre while nationally it is 295 persons per square
kilometer. The average household member is 5. The estimated number of
households is 16848.2 million based on the average household member.
Nationally the leading cause of death is diseases of the heart. The share of
health expenditure to the gross domestic product is 3.1%.

Economy

The 2008 economic indicator's gross national product is 6.1% while the gross
domestic product is 4.6% for the whole country.

1.2 Shelter Related Fact and Figures

Access to Shelter:

Housing stock

The Medium-Term Philippine Development Plan (MTPDP) for 2004-2010

stipulates that the priority of the National Government is poverty alleviation. The
MTPDP enumerates five parts addressing to the United Nations Millennium
Development Goals. Housing is one of the key components of Part I “Economic
Growth and Job Generations” (NEDA, Medium Term Philippine Development
Program, 2004-2010)

Housing deficit (quantitative and qualitative)

The accumulated need for housing in 2007 was 1.28 million which was broken
down into those households in unacceptable housing units (homeless,
dilapidated/condemned housing, and marginal housing), Doubled-up household in
acceptable housing units and the projected housing needs.

Yearly percentage increase in number of dwelling units

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Bello, Charlie P.

Occupancy

Metro Manila recorded a 97.4% of occupied dwelling units while the unoccupied
has a 2.6% tally. Nationally the percentages of occupied and unoccupied dwelling
units are slightly lower

Housing standard

The National Building Code of the Philippines (PD 1096) sets the standards for
the design and development of housing in the Philippines. The law on socialized
housing BP 220 sets forth lower requirements for the design and development of a
socialized housing to be affordable.

Tenure of households
Metro Manila has almost 2.1 million households with 48% (about 1,008,000
households) owning or amortizing their housing. More than 30% (about 690,000)
rent their housing units while 11% occupy their units free with owner’s consent.
House price to income ratio
Basing from gross floor areas enumerated by BP 220 and the minimum wage
earned by family member(s), the house price to income ratio is 1.67 to 2.2.
Land
The PD 1096 enumerates five land uses for housing, the low density, medium
density, high density socialized housing, and for commercial housing.
Housing construction
The conventional construction method of a house construction is used in the
Philippines.
Building materials
Reinforced concrete is commonly used in the construction of housing units in
combinations of steel and lumber products.
Access to and cost of Basic Services/Infrastructure
The residents of Metro Manila have access to the basic services/infrastructure and
the cost to these services/infrastructure is legal enough since the cost are
controlled by different regulatory boards by the government.

Access to and cost of Education

The citizen of the country enjoys a free primary education provided for by the
Department of Education and a limited access to free education in the secondary
and tertiary levels of education

1.3 Housing Policy

The 1987 Constitution of the Republic of the Philippines under Article XIII
mandates the “State to undertake a continuing program of urban land reform and
housing, which will make available at affordable cost decent housing and basic
 An Analysis of the Parameters which influence the Expandability and Flexibility of Socialized Housing

services to underpriviledge and homeless citizens in urban centers and

resettlement areas.

1.4 Actors in Shelter Delivery and their Roles

1.5 Shelter Design

Physical Planning
The professional that undertakes the physical planning of a housing unit are the
architects responsible for the planning and design of the housing and the allied
professions, the structural engineers, Sanitary engineers, and the electrical
engineers for the structural design, sanitary and electrical designs respectively.

Land Use
As mandated by the Local Government Code, all cities and municipalities are
mandated to formulate a Comprehensive Land Use Plan (CLUP) that will serve as
the Local Government Unit’s (LGU’s) Comprehensive Development Plan and the
Land Use Plan. The CLUP designates the type and intensity of land uses
throughout the city or municipality. The Zoning Ordinance is the legal instrument
that enforces the LGU’s Land Use Plan.

Population Density
The laws that designates densities of housing/dwelling units are PD 957
identifying low, medium and high densities of housing, BP 220 stating a very high
density of more than 200 dwelling units to a hectare and the Local Government
Unit (LGU) zoning ordinance. The BP 220 allows maximum of more than a
thousand populations to a hectare.

Shelter Quality
Housing development must comply to the requirements of the National Building
Code of the Philippines (PD 1096) and other referral codes (Structural, Electrical,
Sanitary, and Fire Code). The LGU (cities and municipalities) may issue
additional ordinances pertaining to design and construction of buildings
Batas Pambansa 220 – National Law on socialized Housing – relaxed the
standards in order to reduce development and construction costs and to make it
more affordable to the lower – income group. The minimum lot size is 32 sq. m.
and a minimum floor area of 18 – 24 sq. m. socialized housing.

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Bello, Charlie P.

Presidential Decree 957 – Regulating the sale of Subdivision Lots and

Condominiums, Providing Penalties for Violations Thereof.
• Follows the provisions of the National Building Code of the
Philippines.
• Socialized housing-density of up to 100 dwelling units per hectare
translating it into 70 sq. m. lot area.
Housing Types
• Single – detached
• Semi – detached
• Cluster
• Row house (two story)
• Multi story apartments (with maximum heights of 4 stories) provided
these do not pose problem on siting, privacy and / or amenity.
• Condominium project (40 sq. m. for household and 30 sq. m. for single
occupancy units.

2 Organisation
The Far Eastern University (FEU) is a private non-sectarian university founded in
1928. Its 3 campuses were relegated to the sister companies FERN, FEU East
Asia. The main campus is located in Sampaloc, Manila.
FEU Institute of Architecture and Fine Arts was established in 1950s
offering B.S. Architecture and Bachelor of Fine Arts. The proponent to the
program is a regular faculty member teaching the courses on Housing, Planning,
and Building Technology. He is also engaged in the private practice of
architecture and in planning consultancies. The graduates of the Institute(IARFA)
have become key players to the building industry.
The University extension to the community is engaged in the upgrading of
the housing units of the marginalized poor in coordination of the Gawad Kalinga.
The proponent helps in the evaluation of the different housing units to be
upgraded.
The newly integrated courses / subjects can help in the awareness of
community planning ang housing.
 An Analysis of the Parameters which influence the Expandability and Flexibility of Socialized Housing

3 Shelter Problem
For the past 30 years the factor affecting the housing problem, affordability, have
been tackled by different administrations in different angles, as to how housing
had to be defined according to Manahan. Laws were enacted to alleviate the
disparity of available fund for housing and to make housing development
economically feasible. Design standards were sacrificed. Government and private
developers have come up with different schemes of housing development based
on these laws.
The heavy burden by low and middle-income families to access housing is
the cost of the housing package i.e. the cost of constructing a house and the
purchase of a lot. The limited land area of the Philippines and the increasing
number of families that are in need for housing is putting a pressure on the land
are allotted/assigned to housing. The increasing competition for the use of land
causes an ever-increasing value of land (price per sq. m. of land space). Over the
years the housing package shrunk from a detached bungalow with a modest lot
area to a squeezed row house and a small lot. Settlement densities grew from less
than a hundred to a hectare to more than two hundred to a hectare.
Land value is the base line for the determination of the density of
development. Raw land always commands the lowest price value of land space
per sq.m. Developments within and outside the property and land uses built upon
the land (the local government term is lot improvements house.) raise the value or
the land space.
Economic consideration or the cost of delivering the developed housing
package is the primary factor in the design of the design of the house. This is the
answer of those institutions engaged in the delivery of housing to the issue of
affordability.
To follow the requirements of the existing laws, PD 957 and PD 1096 would
become unaffordable to the beneficiaries of socialized housing. The price per
sq.m. of constructing a socialized housing unit would demand an amount of three
to six times the price of the lot. The ratio between the house/shell development
cost and the lot price ranges from one and a quarter (1.25) to more than twice the
price of the lot. The house then is a big factor in the initial cost of the housing
package, hence an obstacle to the access of housing. A new law was promulgated,
the Batas Pambansa 220, The Rules and Standards for Economic and Socialized

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Bello, Charlie P.

Housing Projects, setting minimum standards and guidelines for the planning,
design and development of socialized housing.
Socialized housing refers to housing programs and projects covering houses
and lots and homelots undertaken by the government or the private sector for the
underprivileged and homeless citizens which shall include sites and services
development, long term financing, liberalizing terms on interest payments, and
such benefits in accordance with the provisions of R.A. 7279 or The Urban and
Development and Housing Act of 1992.
The quality of housing to be found within a settlement reflects the owner’s
economic status. Affordability is the main problem of accessibility for the
families that belong to the low and middle-income groups. Once accessed, living
in it is the second phase of the family problem. This problem is compounded if
the family has not yet finished paying for the amortization of the housing
package. Renovating a house (this may include addition of internal spaces) will
incur a cost of 20% to 65% more on the price of the house (cost of construction
per sq.m.). This assessment is based on the conventional construction method
using mostly industrial building materials.
The conventional method of designing and constructing a house is primarily
dictated by the industry. Construction materials produced by the building/
construction industry dictates the design and construction of what composes the
building envelope thus affecting the enveloped areas and the volume produced.
House design tend to become a finality, i.e., indifferent to the social and
physical needs of the family. Expanding families (increasing number of
family/household members) need more space for certain or specific activities.
Because the house structure is so rigid expandability of the house/shell is
superficially being considered, hence the flexibility of the housing unit is greatly
affected.
The primary choice of construction materials used in the design and the
construction industry is the combination of concrete and steel or the reinforce
concrete. These heterogeneous structural materials are so rigid in terms of its
structural properties. The secondary and tertiary choices of construction materials
are lumber, then steel, though there is now a shift of choice from steel as a
substitute of lumber. These building materials are used for the framing of the
roofing system and the flooring system where expansion is anticipated to occur on
 An Analysis of the Parameters which influence the Expandability and Flexibility of Socialized Housing

the house/shell. Structural properties of lumber and steel are similar in the method
of joining structural members together achieving a less rigid construction method.

4 Proposal for Change and Improvement

The goal of this research is to come up with a means of rating the efficiency of
socialized housing design that is flexible and expendable yet it is economically
feasible. To achieve the goal an analysis of the different socialized houses
constructed for the period of the 1970s to late 1990s was conducted.
1. The external space bounded by the legal boundaries of the lot was
measured against the building foot print, i.e., the lot area and the ground
floor area of the house (the original house).
2. The structural frames of the different structures were plotted and the
materials including the method of construction used were identified.
3. The type and kind of roofing system was log and identified.
4. The most expensive areas to construct and very difficult to maintain were
identified and measured, their location within the house were plotted and
their areas were measured.
5. The location and areas of external walls and interior partitions was plotted
and logged.
The identified factors that affect the flexibility and expandability of a
socialized housing unit are the external and internal spaces used in expansion, the
rigidity of the structural frame against change and the unmoved spaces.
Space as a factor affects the expandability of a socialized housing unit is
measured on the amount of the space left for expansion. The legal working
parameters of the external space is the lot boundaries, the developmental control
of the Revised implementing Rules and Regulation of the National Building Code
of 2004 an other relevant laws PD 957, BP 220, and the local Zoning Ordinance.
The amount of external space left for expansion is taken from deducting the
volume of the housing unit to the volume of space as set forth by the local zoning
ordinance. Internal space expandability is dependent on the other internal spaces
to be sacrificed (invasion and succession), the permanency and rigidity of the
partitions and external walls to be removed and /or moved and the amount of
external space left for the expansion
The function of the rigidity of the structural frame is derived from the
structural property of the individual structural members. The structural property
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Bello, Charlie P.

measured is the weight to stress ratio and the design of the joints. Weight to stress
ratio is an indication of the ability of the individual structural members to be able
to sustain additional or extra loads without further changes on the members. The
conventional structural design using reinforced concrete has a weight to stress
ratio of 0.5 to 0.025, lumber has a stress ratio of 0.045 to 0.021 and steel has 0.01
to 0.008. Lumber though lightweight can carry a moderate amount of load
without any modification to the original structural member. Steel with its heavy
weight but with a very low weight to stress ratio can carry more than ten times
more than its weight without modifying the original structure Reinforced concrete
having a very low weight to stress ratio cannot take no more than a third (1/3)
additional load without modification of its original structure.
In joining structural member to another, homogeneous members have almost
the same property. Lumber and steel have identical joint details with the
exception of steel that the material of one member to the other member can be
fused when using arc welding. Reinforced concrete being heterogeneous has
another joint detail. In continuous pouring of concrete the joints are
monolithically fused, while a member that is joined at later time will require other
structural workmanship and detail. Reinforced concrete being a heterogeneous
member requires a bond between the reinforcing steel and the concrete. This can
translate to exposing the reinforcing steel or taking of a portion of the structural
member to construct a joint to ensure the bond between the newly poured concrete
and the reinforcing steel.
Expanding a space will entail demolishing, moving and reconstructing an
enclosing envelope (walls, roofs, partitions). Concrete hollow block walls that are
demolished to give way to an expanding space have an almost zero percent
recyclable materials (except for the steel bars) component. Double-walled lumber
framed and steel framed walls/partitions have a minimal destroyed component
during the process of moving the walls from its original place to a new location.
Depending on the area of the roofing system, when it comes to being moved to
a higher elevation does not pose a problem. Once detached from the beams the
whole roofing section or portions of it can be lifted/ elevated to a new position.
The parameters on the rating of flexibility on the building structure are the
following:
A. Rigidly on the process of connection is described as the amount of labor,
materials and equipment used in the process of connection, the lesser the
 An Analysis of the Parameters which influence the Expandability and Flexibility of Socialized Housing

consumed amount of labor, materials and equipments the higher the rating
will be. This parameter is derived from the contractors (member of the
PCA) and estimates done from actual constructions undertaken by the
researcher.
B. The effect of additional loads on the structural members is based on
structural analysis on the design capacities of the different structural
members. The rating is according to the efficiency of the structural member
to accept additional loads without or with minimal alteration on the
structural member. The factors of this rating are based on the amount of
labor, materials, and equipments rental used in the modification process of
the structural member. (Refer to table 3 on the Annex).
Flexibility in engineering system design is a design that can adopt when
external changes occur. Using the right construction materials, structural system
and structural components can make the house adaptive to change, its
expandability. The structural frame must be able to accept additional loads with
minimal changes in the member where the joints of additional structural members
are made.
Expandability is the ability of a building/structure to increase in size, bulk or
its volume of internal space. External factor is a crucial factor in the expandability
of a house. Horizontal expansion is the first choice of the owners. Expansion
occurs on the rear portion of the house where the utility spaces, the toilet and the
kitchen are located. Vertical expansion follows horizontal expansion. There is a
relation of the expansion order and the members of the family/household that
influences decision in house improvements.
With these parameters (analyzed and presented) a rating formula on the
efficiency of the designed house on its flexibility and expandability is proposed
by the researcher stated as follows:
Efficiency on the flexibility and/or expandability is the fundamental function
of the Exterior Space (bounded by the boundaries of the lot), the kind and
composition of the structural frame and the area of the moved/relocated partitions.
The weights of the cofactors are statistically derived from the rating done by
consulted members of the allied professions in the design and construction
industry. External space was rated the highest, followed by the structural frame,
and lastly the moved/relocated walls/partitions.

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Bello, Charlie P.

EF=(0.5 – 0.6) SO + (0.35 – 0.4)SF + (0.15 -0.1)W

Where EE - Efficiency on expandability
SO - Outside space bounded by the lot
SF - Structural Frame
W - moved walls/ partitions
The upper limit on the equation is the statistical finding while the lower limit is
the researchers own analysis.
The conventional method of construction using reinforced concrete as the
structural frame including the prevailing masonry construction that the
construction industry is using is very rigid. The area of the lot is so small allowing
for a one-time expansion, horizontally on the front, rear, vertically up or the
combination of those mentioned. As designers and planners, we have to look back
at the traditional method of construction and how our basic community houses
were laid. The balloon framing system of the traditional bahay kubo offered the
most flexible structural design and the house is easily expanded when the needs
arises.
The researcher recommends a further study on the weights of the different
factors affecting the expandability and flexibility of socialized housing to derive
more accurate weights on the different factors affecting the flexibility and
expandability of socialized housing.
A short term action plan is to present to the home organization a proposal to
undertake the relation of the Floor to Lot Area Ratio (FLAR) that will affect the
density of development and what the site and the environment will offer to sustain
the development.
The medium to long term action plan is to conduct research for the
development of industrialized building components that imitates the structural
properties of the balloon framing and to be able to apply and demonstrate these
industrialized building subsystems in the actual design and construction of
socialized housing with the help of the home organization and the building
industry.
 An Analysis of the Parameters which influence the Expandability and Flexibility of Socialized Housing

References
Department of Health (DOH), Philippines, http://www.chdm.doh.gov.ph
Housing and Land use Regulatory Board (HLURB)
2001 Revised implementing Rules and Regulations for BP 220
James Douglas
2006, Building Adaptation, Heriot-Watt University, Edinburg U.K.
Butterworth-Heinemann is an imprint of Elsevier: Oxford, U.K.
Medium Term Philippine Development Plan, 2004 - 2010
National Economic Development Authority (NEDA)
National Mapping and Resource information Authority (NAMRIA)
National Statistics Office (NSO), Philippines, http://www.census.gov.ph
National Structural Code of the Philippines,
2001. Association of Structural Engineers of the Philippines (ASEP)
Philippine Contractors Association
Presidential Decree 957
Presidential Decree 1096, 2005 Revised Implementing Rules and Regulation of
the National Building Code
United Architects of the Philippines

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Bello, Charlie P.

Annex A
 An Analysis of the Parameters which influence the Expandability and Flexibility of Socialized Housing

Annex B

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Bello, Charlie P.

Annex C
 An Analysis of the Parameters which influence the Expandability and Flexibility of Socialized Housing

Annex D
Table1: Showing percentile of portions of the building structural framing
systems & building envelope using different building materials & method of
construction.
Building Materials Building Structural Buiding Non
used in Building components Structural Component
Structure
Roof Structural Floor Stair Shear Exterior Interior
System Frame System Wall Wall Partition
Beam/Col
A. Conventional
Wood 70
Steel 20 90-P (90-P) 70 NILL
Reinforced NILL
Concrete
Masonry (CHB) 40 100 80
B. Industrial
Partial Building
Products
Structure System
Subsystem (Partition) 10 10
Exterior Walls

Table 2: Showing expansions/ done on houses by owners’ additions.

Space Ownership Location
Description
1st 2nd 3rd GND Second
Kitchen
Dining 80 80 90 100
Utility/Service
Living 20 100
Bedroom 90 80 90 85 35
Carport 40
Toilet & Bath 30 15 30

Table 3: Joints of structural members rigidity on the process of connection

Rating
Wood 9
Steel 8
Reinforced Concrete 1
Industrial Building Products 6

Table 4: Effects of additional loads

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Bello, Charlie P.

Ratings
Wood 6
Steel 8
Reinforced Concrete 3
Industrial Building Products

Table 5: Decision making in the family regarding certain matters

Choice of Improvement Choice of Recreation Buying
Residence Of House Vacation Appliances
Husband 182 104 68 62 70
Wife 66 108 78 66 108
Both
(husband 416 444 466 458 444
&
Wife)
Children 8 10 38 50 14
Mother in - - 2 2 -
Law
Father in - - - - -
Law
Parents 6 6 4 4 4
Sister / 10 10 8 8 8
Brother
Head aside
from 14 14 12 12 12
husband or
Wife
Others
(daughters - - - - -
in law)
702 696 626 662 652

Table 7: Comparison of minimum Lot areas (sq.m.)

Type of Housing Lot National Building Code PD 957 BP 220

Eco Soc Eco Soc

Single Detached *301 180 100 72 64
Duplex/Single Attached 75 varies 54 48
Row Houses 50 36 28

* NBC 2005 gave a lot area of 301 sq. m. as a basis for computation in
determining development control. (Based on maximum allowed width & depth of
enclosed structure which is 10.00 m x 15.00 m respectively.