MANILA – Low-income workers, housewives, and delivery riders have credited the Expanded Pambansang Pabahay para sa Pilipino (4PH) Program for transforming their lives, ending decades of housing insecurity with guaranteed land tenure and affordable vertical homeownership.
The Department of Human Settlements and Urban Development (DHSUD) on Friday highlighted the grassroots impact of the program following successive milestones in Laguna, which provided long-term stability to thousands of families.
DHSUD Secretary Jose Ramon Aliling, alongside Social Housing Finance Corporation (SHFC) President Federico Laxa and Pag-IBIG Fund CEO Marilene Acosta, reaffirmed that the state is shifting its focus toward building comprehensive, resilient urban ecosystems.
"Ang bawat pamilyang nagkakaroon ng sariling tahanan o seguridad sa lupang kanilang tinitirhan ay patunay na ang pangarap na magkabahay ng bawat Pilipino ay unti-unti nating nabibigyan ng katuparan, alinsunod sa utos ni Pangulong Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr (Every family that secures their own home or gains security of land tenure is proof that we are gradually fulfilling the dream of every Filipino to own a house, in line with the directive of President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr.)," he said.
The construction of the residential units is part of President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr.'s Expanded 4PH Program to provide decent, safe, and permanent homes for low-income families.
For the beneficiaries in Biñan City, the government-backed land acquisition put an end to 30 years of constant displacement anxieties.
Dreamland Home Owners Association President Freddie Arollado recounted how the community turned emotional upon learning that state funding had finally validated their land ownership.
"Halos majority ng member namin ay natuwa, halos nagkaiyakan pa kasi finally nga daw nandito na kami sa stage na may pondo ang gobyerno para sa kagaya namin (Nearly the entire majority of our members were overjoyed, some were even moved to tears, because we have finally reached the stage where the government has allocated dedicated funds for people like us)," he said in a news release.
"Sobrang saya ng mga tao simula nung nalaman nila na itong programa ng Pangulo natin ay nakaabot sa amin at naging isa kami sa mga benepisyaryo (The community was filled with immense joy ever since they learned that the President's flagship program had reached us, and that we had been chosen as beneficiaries)," he added.
Jimmy Rodelas, a factory worker who occupied the Dreamland property for 25 years, echoed the sentiment, describing the awarding as the realization of a lifelong dream.
"Maganda kasi maraming mga natutulungan na katulad namin na mahihirap (This is an excellent initiative because it provides vital assistance to marginalized individuals and low-income families like us)," he said.
For delivery rider Luis Nasayao, having permanent roots means he can confidently build a future without the hassle of moving around.
"Mas maganda yung ganito na ano panatag ka na kahit patayuan mo ng maganda yung bahay mo, mahirap yung palipat-lipat ka rin ng bahay eh (It is much better this way because you have peace of mind; you can confidently invest in improving your home knowing that you won't have to face the hardships of constantly relocating)," he said.
In Cabuyao City, the Expanded 4PH program opened a viable path toward condominium ownership for minimum-wage earners who previously found traditional real estate prices completely out of reach.
Rizalina Magundayao, a housewife, noted that the state-subsidized project broke her grueling cycle of renting.
"Buwan-buwan kailangan kong makabayad para hindi ako mapaalis sa aking inuupahan. Ngayon, syempre nagagalak ako dahil isa ako sa pinalad na mapili na magkaroon ng ganitong pabahay (Month after month, I had to ensure I could pay my rent just to avoid eviction. Now, I am deeply grateful to be one of the fortunate individuals chosen to receive this housing unit)," she said.
Abegail Candor, a local production operator, and Grace Page, a logistics worker, both emphasized that the low monthly amortization schemes transformed their family dynamics by stopping the constant transferring of their children from school to school due to erratic rental spikes.
"Nung kumuha kami sa Pasinaya, yun na-assure namin na kahit monthly kami magbigay, assure naman na sa akin na nakapangalan yung bahay. Dito talaga may sarili ka ng bahay (When we secured our home at Pasinaya, we were guaranteed that even as we paid monthly, the property deed would be under my name. Out here, you can finally say you have a home that is truly your own)," Candor said.
Small business owner Paulo Baroro even likened the modern condo setup to overseas standards.
"Dito safety na po ang aking mga anak at asawa dahil mataas na antas ng pabahay na may murang paghuhulog. Ang tingin ko eh para bang kami nasa ibang bansa na at namumuhay doon pero hindi nasa Pilipinas pa rin kami (My family’s safety is secure here because of the premium quality of the housing and its affordable payment terms. It honestly feels like we are living in another country, but in reality, we are still very much here in the Philippines)," Baroro said.
On Wednesday, 182 members of the Dreamland HOA Inc. in Barangay Tubigan, Biñan City, legally secured the land they had occupied for over three decades through the Enhanced Community Mortgage Program. It is a key modality of the Expanded 4PH implemented by the SHFC.
Meanwhile, family-beneficiaries formally took over their brand-new units at Pasinaya Heights in Barangay Baclaran, Cabuyao City, on Thursday.
It is a development slated to shelter roughly 8,000 individuals upon full occupancy. (PNA)
