MORE than 5,700 families living in government-proclaimed residential areas are set to receive Certificates of Entitlement (COEs) under the Expanded Pambansang Pabahay para sa Pilipino (4PH) program.
Housing czar Jose Ramon Aliling said the certificates will cover four Presidential Proclamations (PP): PP 550 in Los Baños, Laguna; PP 463 in Lucena City, Quezon; PP 1538 in Iloilo City; and PP 397 in Caloocan City.
The COE provides security of tenure to long-time occupants of government-proclaimed lots while their applications for full land ownership are processed.
It is one of the new modalities introduced under the expanded 4PH to formalize occupancy and prevent the displacement of informal settler families.
Aliling said COEs for Iloilo City, Lucena City and Los Baños are targeted for release during the National Shelter Month celebration this October, while those for Caloocan City are expected to follow within the year.
Initially, around 840 family beneficiaries are scheduled to receive their COEs before the year ends
The agency earlier reported that 63,000 housing units have been constructed since 4PH was launched, with another 268,000 units under financing and assistance programs.
Despite this progress, the government remains short of its 300,000-unit target by 2028, as outlined in the Philippine Development Plan.