Beneficiaries of the government’s housing program received land rights in Laguna and Quezon following the approval of projects under the Expanded Pambansang Pabahay para sa Pilipino (4PH) Program, the Department of Human Settlements and Urban Development (DHSUD) said.

DHSUD Secretary Jose Ramon Aliling approved an Enhanced Community Mortgage Program (ECMP) project in Cabuyao City, Laguna, and the awarding of certificates of entitlement (CoEs) in Lucena City, Quezon, covering areas under Presidential Proclamation 436, series of 2003.

In Cabuyao City, 271 families from Don Vicente Villas Homeowners Association Phase 8 in Barangay Pulo were included in the ECMP, which allows occupants to acquire the land they have been residing on through financing assistance from the Social Housing Finance Corporation.

In Lucena City, 180 families received their CoEs during a ceremony held on 12 March, formalizing their claims to the lots they occupy.

Beneficiaries said the program would provide security of tenure after years of uncertainty. Some said they had lived in the areas for decades without assurance of ownership.

The ECMP is among the government’s housing initiatives aimed at providing land tenure and financing support to low-income communities.