THE government has approved a total of 47 projects during the first year of the Enhanced Community Mortgage Program (ECMP), according to the Department of Human Settlements and Urban Development (DHSUD).
The ECMP provides financing to organized communities, particularly low-income and informal settler families, so they can legally acquire the land they have long occupied.
Implemented by the Social Housing Finance Corp. (SHFC), the approved projects involved more than P870.6 million in land acquisition loan assistance for more than 8,100 families nationwide.
This translates to an average of around P107,000 per beneficiary, although the actual amount may vary depending on the cost of the property and the number of families covered by each project.
While all 47 projects have been approved, the release of financing remains underway. DHSUD said 25 communities have so far received their land acquisition assistance, benefiting more than 4,000 members of homeowners’ associations.
Based on the agency’s figures, another 22 approved projects are awaiting the release of their loan proceeds.
The latest approvals cover four homeowners’ associations in Palawan, Camarines Norte, and Isabela, extending the program’s reach to more communities outside Metro Manila. The agency, however, did not disclose their respective project costs, loan terms or number of beneficiaries.
Introduced in 2025, the ECMP is among the housing assistance modalities under the Expanded Pambansang Pabahay para sa Pilipino Program (4PH).
Unlike housing projects involving the direct construction of residential units, the ECMP primarily addresses security of tenure through land acquisition. Beneficiaries may therefore still require separate financing to construct or improve their homes after acquiring the property.
Housing Secretary Jose Ramon P. Aliling said the agency and SHFC intend to expand the program to allow more organized communities to secure legal ownership of their properties.
He added that each approved project brings low-income families closer to permanent land ownership and provides communities with greater protection against displacement.