More than 5,000 families long waiting for land tenure security are set to receive Certificates of Entitlement (COEs) under four presidential proclamations, according to the Department of Human Settlements and Urban Development (DHSUD).

DHSUD Secretary Jose Ramon Aliling said a total of 5,700 families are expected to benefit from the distribution of COEs covering Presidential Proclamations (PP) 550, s.2004 (Los Baños, Laguna); 463, s.2003 (Lucena City, Quezon); 1538, s.2008 (Iloilo City); and 397, s.2003 (Caloocan City).

“President Marcos Jr.’s directive is to provide our fellow Filipinos with a more secure and dignified way of life," he said in Filipino.

"That is what we aim for through the distribution of COEs to families who have long been living on land that is not titled in their name,” he added.

After decades of uncertainty, these families will finally gain formal recognition of their right to occupy and eventually own the land they have lived on for generations.

The DHSUD targets the distribution of COEs for Iloilo City, Lucena City, and Los Baños as part of the National Shelter Month 2025 celebration, themed “Build Homes, Build Happiness.”

Beneficiaries under PP397 in Caloocan City are slated to receive their certificates within the year.

Initially, 840 family-beneficiaries are scheduled to receive their COEs before year-end.

Aliling emphasized that the move is a "big step" toward the dreamland title of many Filipinos.

The distribution of COEs is among the new modalities under the Expanded Pambansang Pabahay Para sa Pilipino or 4PH Program, which seeks to provide security of tenure for families occupying untitled or government-proclaimed lots.

Other modalities include rental and incremental housing, vertical (condominium-type) and horizontal (subdivision-type) developments, and an enhanced community mortgage program.

The initiative underscores the Marcos administration’s commitment to inclusive housing development, giving thousands of informal settler families not just homes but also stability, dignity, and hope for a secure future. 

DHSUD PHOTO