Forty-four families from an underserved community in Marikina City received formal land titles Wednesday, marking a major milestone for residents who have occupied the land for decades without legal ownership.

The Social Housing Finance Corporation (SHFC) and the Department of Human Settlements and Urban Development (DHSUD) awarded the transfer certificates of title to members of the Samahang Magkakapitbahay ng Purok III Homeowners’ Association Inc. Phase II-A in Barangay Malanday.

The community is a beneficiary of the government’s Community Mortgage Program, a key initiative under President Ferdinand Marcos Jr.’s flagship Pambansang Pabahay para sa Pilipino (4PH) Program.

The 44 recipients are part of the association’s 124 member-beneficiaries, many of whom have lived on the property since the late 1990s when the community was established as part of Marikina’s in-city relocation program.

Housing Secretary Jose Ramon Aliling and SHFC President Federico Laxa led the awarding ceremony alongside local officials.

“This is the fulfillment of your dream to have a title to your land and home, a dream for your family and for future generations,” Laxa told the beneficiaries during the ceremony.

The association received its land acquisition loan from the SHFC in 2019. To date, nearly half of the members have fully paid off their housing loans.

Homeowners’ association president Cristina Bautista expressed relief and gratitude for the long-term security the titles provide.

“This is a massive help because this is for life, something our grandchildren will inherit,” Bautista said.

Marikina Representative Marcelino Teodoro also welcomed the milestone, thanking the national housing agencies for turning his constituents’ long-standing dreams of secure homeownership into reality.