Long-time informal settlers get huge boost

More than 200 informal settlers in Valenzuela City have secured ownership of the land they have occupied for decades, turning back the threat of displacement through the government’s flagship housing program.

The Department of Human Settlements and Urban Development (DHSUD) and the Social Housing Finance Corporation (SHFC) released more than P9 million to the Bagong Pag-asa Neighborhood Association of PARADA Inc. in Barangay Parada.

The financial assistance covers land acquisition and related taxes for the 2,318-square-meter property under the Enhanced Community Mortgage Program (ECMP), a component of President Ferdinand Marcos Jr.’s Expanded Pambansang Pabahay para sa Pilipino (4PH) Program.

DHSUD Secretary Jose Ramon Aliling and SHFC president and CEO Federico Laxa led the turnover ceremony. Aliling said the initiative aims to provide permanent tenure while ensuring low-income families retain access to essential services.

“Under the Expanded 4PH Program, we are promoting not just housing, but the dignity of every Filipino family,” Aliling said. “By ensuring security in their current residences, we also guarantee their continuous access to vital services like healthcare and nutrition.”