Filipinos who were beneficiaries of President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr.’s Expanded Pambansang Pabahay para sa Pilipino (4PH) Program are speaking out about how it has transformed their lives, giving them the security and dignity they once only dreamed of.

The Department of Human Settlements and Urban Development (DHSUD) has been ramping up the nationwide rollout of the Expanded 4PH across multiple modalities to reach thousands of Filipinos.

In Biñan City, the wait is finally over. After more than three decades, 182 member-beneficiaries of the Dreamland Homeowners Association Inc. in Barangay Tubigan secured land tenure on Wednesday through the Enhanced Community Mortgage Program (ECMP), a key component of the Expanded 4PH implemented by the Social Housing Finance Corp. (SHFC).

On Thursday, in neighboring Cabuyao City, family-beneficiaries of Pasinaya Heights in Barangay Baclaran received their housing units under the Expanded 4PH Program, with the development expected to benefit some 8,000 individuals.

DHSUD Secretary Jose Ramon Aliling led both activities alongside SHFC president and CEO Federico Laxa, Pag-IBIG Fund CEO Marilene Acosta, Senior Undersecretary Eduardo Robles Jr., and other DHSUD, SHFC, Pag-IBIG, and local government officials.

For the recipients, the Expanded 4PH Program represents far more than housing assistance; it signifies stability, security, and the fulfillment of dreams long thought beyond reach.

For decades, members of Dreamland HOA lived with uncertainty despite having established their homes and community in the area. 

Through the ECMP, the national government provided financial assistance for the acquisition of the land they have occupied, finally giving the residents legal ownership and peace of mind.

Dreamland HOA president Freddie Arollado said many residents became emotional upon learning that their long wait was finally over.

“Most of our members were overjoyed, many were moved to tears because, finally, they said, we have reached a point where the government has funding for people like us.” 

Dream realized

Jimmy Rodelas, a factory worker, described the moment as the realization of a lifelong aspiration.

“I’ve been living on that land for 25 years. It’s wonderful because many people like us — poor families like ours — are being helped. We are truly overjoyed that the home we had long hoped for will finally become ours,” he said.

Rizalina Magundayao, a housewife, shared how the program ended years of uncertainty while they were renting a home.

“Every month, I had to make payments so we won’t be evicted. Now of course I am very happy because I was fortunate enough to be chosen to receive this housing assistance. Everything we need is already here,” she shared.

The same sense of hope was echoed by beneficiaries at Pasinaya Heights, one of the latest housing developments under the Expanded 4PH Program.

Production operator Abegail Candor said owning a home had always seemed difficult to achieve because of the high costs associated with housing.

“When we acquired a unit through Pasinaya, we were assured that even if we paid monthly, the house would eventually be under our name. Here, you truly have a home of your own. You are no longer just renting — no matter how long you stay, it will eventually belong to you. Thank you very much, President BBM,” she said.