The Department of Human Settlements and Urban Development (DHSUD) will award certificates of entitlement (COEs) to 1,165 beneficiaries this month to strengthen land tenure security for underprivileged Filipinos under the Expanded Pambansang Pabahay Para sa Pilipino (4PH) Program.
In a statement, DHSUD Secretary Jose Ramon Aliling said the COEs will cover residential lands in Los Baños, Laguna; Lucena City, Quezon; and Jaro, Iloilo City.
Aliling said these sites were declared suitable for socialized housing through Presidential Proclamation Nos. 550, 436 and 1538.
“Ang awarding po ay maagang pamasko na hatid ng administrasyon ni Pangulong Marcos Jr. na patuloy na nagnanais mabigyan ng kapanatagan ang ating mga kababayang matagal nang naghihintay ng seguridad sa kanilang lupang tinitirhan,” the DHSUD chief said on Sunday.
(The awarding is an early Christmas gift brought by the administration of President Ferdinand Marcos Jr., who continues to seek to provide security to our countrymen who have long been waiting for security in their land of residence.)
In Los Baños, Laguna, 764 beneficiaries from Barangays Lalakay, Bambang and Timugan have been cleared after the Local Inter-Agency Committee (LIAC) completed its validation. The COEs will be awarded in three batches starting this December until early 2026.
In Jaro, Iloilo, preparations are underway for the awarding of COEs to 216 qualified families this month, while the LIAC has already completed the validation for 185 beneficiaries in Lucena City, with the awarding of COEs set in January next year.
Aliling said this timeline allows for final verification, beneficiary confirmation and coordination with local authorities to ensure accuracy and transparency.
“Hindi lang bahay ang pinag-uusapan dito. Kapag may pinanghahawakan sila na nagsasabing kanila ang lupang tinitirhan nila, mas may kapanatagan ang ating mga kababayan,” he said.
(It’s not just about houses. When they hold onto something that says the land they live on is theirs, our countrymen will have more security.)
He assured the public that the DHSUD will continue working closely with concerned local government units (LGUs) and government agencies to guarantee the smooth distribution of COEs in the coming months.
“As instructed by the President, we will do what we can to expedite the awarding of COEs in accordance with existing policies. We want to give our fellow Filipinos the land tenure security they have long been waiting for,” Aliling said. — JMA, GMA Integrated News
