Thousands of informal settler families in Cagayan Valley, Zamboanga Peninsula, and the Negros Island Region have moved closer to owning the land they occupy as the government expands its housing and land acquisition assistance program under the administration’s flagship shelter initiative.
Department of Human Settlements and Urban Development (DHSUD) said its key shelter agency, the Social Housing Finance Corporation, has widened the implementation of the Enhanced Community Mortgage Program (ECMP) under the Expanded Pambansang Pabahay para sa Pilipino Program, or 4PH.
The initiative provides accredited informal settler communities with a legal pathway to collectively acquire and own the land they have occupied for years, helping families secure tenure and reduce the risk of displacement.
In Bacolod City, the DHSUD said the first ECMP rollout in the Negros Island Region marked a major milestone for residents of Barangay Cabug, where members of the LK Yuman Phase 1 and 2 Homeowners Associations received land acquisition assistance expected to benefit 209 families.
In Cagayan Valley, 77 members of the CMP Homeowners Association Inc. in Solana, Cagayan received assistance covering more than 11,000 square meters of land. Another 134 households from the Amianan CMP Homeowners Association Inc. in Cordon, Isabela also benefited from land acquisition support covering over 29,000 square meters.
Meanwhile, around 115 members of the Maria Navarro Homeowners Association Inc. in Barangay Recodo, Zamboanga City, received formal documents securing their tenure over the land they occupy.
Jose Ramon Aliling said the program reflects the administration’s continuing effort to provide poor and vulnerable communities with safer and more dignified living conditions.
“Alinsunod sa direktiba ni Pangulong Marcos Jr., patuloy ang DHSUD at SHFC sa pagsusulong ng pamumuhay na may dignidad para sa ating mga kababayan. Sa pamamagitan ng ECMP, maraming pamilya ang nagkakaroon ng seguridad, kapanatagan, at higit sa lahat, bagong pag-asa para sa mas magandang bukas,” Aliling said.
The DHSUD said the ECMP follows a “pro-poor” and “people-centric” approach by helping organized communities legally purchase the land they occupy and eventually secure ownership.
Officials said the initiative also forms part of the administration’s broader housing agenda aimed at providing more affordable, secure, and sustainable housing opportunities for urban poor communities across the country.