IN a historic nationwide push for secure land tenure, the Social Housing Finance Corporation (SHFC) and the Department of Human Settlements and Urban Development (DHSUD) distributed 913 land titles to Community Mortgage Program (CMP) beneficiaries across the Philippines.
Held as a birthday tribute to President Ferdinand Marcos Jr., the event marked the largest simultaneous awarding of CMP titles in the program’s history.
The main celebration took place at the Makabagong San Juan Theatre in San Juan City under the umbrella of the “Handog ng Pangulo: Serbisyong Sapat Para sa Lahat” initiative.
DHSUD Secretary Jose Ramon Aliling and SHFC President and CEO Federico Laxa spearheaded the main program alongside San Juan City Mayor Francis Zamora and Calamba City Mayor Roseller Rizal.
Simultaneous satellite ceremonies were also led by local chief executives, including Baguio City Mayor Benjamin Magalong and Cabanatuan City Mayor Myca Elizabeth Vergara, spanning regions from Luzon to Mindanao.
Significantly, the figure of 913 was chosen to symbolically represent September 13, the President’s birthday.
Beneficiaries hailed from diverse urban and provincial centers, including San Juan, Taguig, Batangas, Laguna, Bulacan, Nueva Ecija, Baguio, Lucena, Palawan, Bacolod, Cebu, Davao, General Santos, Cagayan de Oro, and Zamboanga.
Secretary Aliling stressed that the administration remains dedicated to bridging the gap between governance and grassroots communities.
He noted that these land titles serve as profound symbols of new hope and inspiration rather than mere legal documents.
Echoing this sentiment, SHFC President Laxa described the milestone as a testament to a program built with genuine heart, noting that the initiative directly feeds into the broader goals of the Expanded Pambansang Pabahay para sa Pilipino (4PH) Program.
For low-income families, obtaining these Transfer Certificates of Title (TCTs) provides immediate legal security and a permanent foundation for community development.
Since its inception in 1988, the CMP has successfully empowered more than 300,000 Filipino families to transition from informal settlers to legitimate landowners, paving the way for long-term economic stability and community resilience.