The administration of President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr., through the Department of Human Settlements and Urban Development (DHSUD), is set to end the decades-long wait for more than 1,000 families to secure their Certificates of Entitlement (COEs) for land covered by presidential proclamations.

This, as DHSUD scheduled this month the awarding of COEs which marks another major step in strengthening land tenure security for underprivileged Filipinos under the flagship Expanded Pambansang Pabahay Para sa Pilipino (4PH) Program.

The awarding, covering residential lands in Los Baños, Laguna; Lucena City, Quezon; and Jaro, Iloilo City, will end the decades-long wait of the prospective beneficiaries.

These sites were declared suitable for socialized housing through Presidential Proclamation Nos. 550, 436 and 1538, respectively.

DHSUD Secretary Jose Ramon Aliling underscored that the distribution of COEs advances the national government’s commitment to utilize idle public lands for public housing.

“Ang awarding po ay maagang pamasko na hatid ng administrasyon ni Pangulong Marcos Jr. na patuloy na nagnanais mabigyan ng kapanatagan ang ating mga kababayang matagal nang naghihintay ng seguridad sa kanilang lupang tinitirhan (The awarding is an early Christmas gift brought by the administration of President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr., who continues to seek to provide security to our countrymen who have long been waiting for security in their land of residence),” Aliling said in a news release on Sunday.

In Los Baños, Laguna, a total of 764 beneficiaries from Barangays Lalakay, Bambang and Timugan have been cleared following the completion of the Local Inter-Agency Committee (LIAC) validation.

The COEs are set to be awarded in three batches beginning December 2025 through early 2026.

In Jaro, Iloilo, preparations are now ongoing for the awarding of COEs to 216 qualified families during the Yuletide Season.

In Lucena City, the LIAC has already completed the validation process for 185 beneficiaries, and the awarding is scheduled in January 2026.

Aliling emphasized that this timeline allows final verification, beneficiary confirmation and coordination with local authorities to ensure accuracy and transparency.

“Hindi lang bahay ang pinag-uusapan dito. Kapag may pinanghahawakan sila na nagsasabing kanila ang lupang tinitirhan nila, mas may kapanatagan ang ating mga kababayan (It’s not just about houses. When they hold onto something that says the land they live on is theirs, our countrymen will have more security),” he said.

“Ito ang layunin ng ating Pangulong Marcos Jr. sa ilalim ng Expanded 4PH—ang bigyan ng mas may dignidad na pamumuhay ang bawat pamilyang Pilipino (This is the goal of our President Marcos Jr. under Expanded 4PH—to provide a more dignified life for every Filipino family).”

The DHSUD assured the public that it will continue working closely with concerned local governments and national agencies to guarantee the smooth distribution of COEs under Presidential Proclamations in the months ahead.

“As instructed by the President, we will do what we can to expedite the awarding of COEs in accordance with existing policies. We want to give our fellow Filipinos the land tenure security they have long been waiting for,” Aliling said. (PNA)