President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. praised Manila’s in-city housing program as he inaugurated the newly finished San Lazaro Residences, a 15-storey vertical housing complex that broke ground during Mayor Francisco “Isko” Moreno Domagoso’s first term.
After walking through the building and checking its amenities, Marcos remarked, “Dapat ganito pinagagawa natin,” a line Domagoso later highlighted as an endorsement of Manila’s standards in public housing.
“We’ll be happy to share the idea that it is horizontal housing.”
“We’re really happy that the President is inspired about the situation,” the mayor said. “Share ko na rin, ang sabi niya, ‘Dapat ganito pinagagawa natin.’ We’ll be happy to share the idea that it is horizontal housing.”
He said the President was taken aback by the scale and quality of the facilities, which include a swimming pool, function hall, outdoor activity spaces, commercial units, and a full public health laboratory occupying the lower floors.
“Nagulat na may swimming pool, may center, two-bedroom, and so on and so forth.”
“Nagulat na may swimming pool, may center, two-bedroom, and so on and so forth,” Domagoso said, adding that Marcos referred to the project as a model of “livable space” for socialized housing nationwide.
Rising along Alvarez and Quiricada Streets in Sta. Cruz, the San Lazaro Residences will accommodate 382 families in 40-square-meter units fitted with two bedrooms, a kitchen, dining and living areas, and a toilet and bath.
The project cost ₱1.99 billion, financed through a Development Bank of the Philippines (DBP) loan, and was built by Metro Stonerich Corporation.
Beneficiaries will contribute ₱2,000 to ₱3,000 a month, depending on income, with the payments funneled into the city’s housing trust fund for upkeep and future in-city developments.
Domagoso said San Lazaro Residences is part of a larger housing pipeline he pursued in his first term, covering both vertical and horizontal housing.
These include Tondominium 1 and 2, Binondominium, the Baseco housing community or the Basecommunity, Pedro Gil Residences, and San Sebastian Residences—alongside major civic upgrades such as the Manila Zoo, Bagong Ospital ng Maynila, Manila Science High School, Rosauro Almario Elementary School and Dr. A. Albert Elementary School.
