Pinatubo survivors secure land titles 35 years after disaster

Thirty-five years after the catastrophic eruption of Mount Pinatubo, 60 displaced families finally received official ownership of their relocation lands.

This comes as the provincial government of Pampanga and the National Housing Authority (NHA) handed over the certificates of land ownership during a ceremony at the provincial capitol grounds in the City of San Fernando.

The distribution coincided with this month’s 35th anniversary of the 15 June 1991 eruption — one of the most destructive volcanic events of the 20th century.

For beneficiaries like Marie Pablo, the land title represents the end of a decades-long journey toward permanent security. Pablo’s family lost their home in Sapang Bato when it was buried by lahar and washed away following the eruption.

“Our house in Sapang Bato was destroyed and washed out when Mount Pinatubo erupted, so we were moved to Tent City,” Pablo said in Tagalog. “Because life was so difficult then, we temporarily went back to our home province in Ilocos Norte just to get by.”

Her family eventually moved to the EPZA Resettlement Center in Barangay Pulung Cacutud, Angeles City, where they waited for decades to officially own the property.

“This is a massive help because we finally have a title,” Pablo said. “For us, this replaces the home we lost. We will cherish this as a blessing... slowly, we are recovering.”

The resettlement program was originally managed by the Mount Pinatubo Commission. When the commission dissolved, the NHA took over the administration and titling responsibilities for the displaced families.