The Department of Human Settlements and Urban Development and the Social Housing Finance Corporation (SHFC) awarded checks totaling over P38.6 million on March 26 to fund land acquisition and documentary support for two communities in Pampanga province.
The initiative, led by DHSUD Secretary Jose Ramon Aliling and SHFC president Federico Laxa, benefits about 400 families living in Barangay Maimpis in San Fernando City. The funding falls under President Ferdinand Marcos Jr.’s Expanded Pambansang Pabahay para sa Pilipino (4PH) Program, which aims to reduce the national housing backlog.
Of the total disbursement, about P35 million is dedicated to lot acquisition through the SHFC Enhanced Community Mortgage Program (ECMP). This allows residents of the Pinag-isang Magkakapitbahay ng Miranda Compound Homeowners Association Phases 1 and 2 to purchase the land they occupy. An additional P3.6 million was provided to cover the processing of legal and documentary requirements.
“Starting today, you can sleep soundly without the fear of being evicted,” Laxa said during the ceremony. He said the ECMP, which was updated in July 2025 to include site development and community upgrading, is designed to provide stability and dignity to low-income families.
The government has approved 43 ECMP projects across the country to date, covering more than 7,400 families. Human Settlements Secretary Aliling described the Pampanga turnover as a significant milestone for community security.
Beneficiaries who have sought government intervention since August expressed relief at the transition to formal ownership.
“We are grateful because the land where our houses stand will finally be ours,” Phase 1 president Mia Meneses said. Phase 2 president Reynante Mogato said the community had waited a long time for the acquisition to become a reality.
The 4PH Program is the flagship housing initiative of the Marcos administration, focusing on integrated urban development and the empowerment of organized community associations.
