A measure seeking to stop the eviction of tenants and suspend rent payments during periods of national emergencies or calamities is now under consideration in the Senate.
Senator Sherwin Gatchalian, author of Senate Bill No. 1109 or the proposed “Rental Payment and Eviction Moratorium during Disasters and Emergencies Act,” said the initiative is essential to curb abusive lending and housing practices that burden ordinary Filipinos amid the country’s shortage of affordable housing.
Under SB 1109, a 30-day moratorium on rental payments and tenant evictions will take effect whenever a state of calamity or national emergency is declared.
If the emergency period extends beyond 60 days, deferred rental fees and related charges may be paid in six equal monthly installments.
“This proposed measure aims to protect poor Filipino families from the adverse effects and cushion the impact of disasters and other emergencies through a 30-day moratorium on rental payment, reckoned from the termination of the state of calamity,” Gatchalian explained in his bill’s explanatory note.
He added that preventing evictions immediately after disasters is crucial, as losing shelter leaves families “more vulnerable” during recovery.
Gatchalian pointed to the COVID-19 pandemic as a turning point that exposed the severity of the country’s housing crisis, with many families driven into financial distress.
He noted a surge in evictions in informal communities during the pandemic, putting displaced families at greater health and safety risks.
“For years, ordinary Filipinos have struggled with the severe lack of affordable housing, weak tenant protections, limited public housing, and inadequate shelter conditions, especially during the pandemic,” he said.
Citing a Commission on Human Rights (CHR) study, the senator said existing state mechanisms fall short in safeguarding Filipinos’ right to housing, as reflected in increasing homelessness and the growth of informal settlements across urban and rural areas.
Gatchalian stressed that the bill’s provisions are designed to give disaster-affected families “enough time and breathing room” to cope with economic challenges.
The measure also seeks to establish a clear and uniform national policy for handling similar crises in the future, particularly as the Philippines continues to face frequent natural disasters.
If enacted, the Department of Human Settlements and Urban Development (DHSUD) and the Department of Trade and Industry (DTI) will be responsible for implementing the law.