More than a roof: Finding security, dignity, and hope through PBBM’s Expanded 4PH
Every Filipino family dreams of a safe, decent, and affordable home—a place where children can dream and grow, parents can plan for the future, and families can live with dignity and peace of mind.
Recognizing that the path to homeownership is different for every Filipino, the Department of Human Settlements and Urban Development (DHSUD) expanded President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr.’s Pambansang Pabahay para sa Pilipino (4PH) Program into a more citizen-centric and inclusive housing initiative.
Beyond vertical or condominium-type developments, the Expanded 4PH now includes various housing modalities and financing options designed to meet the needs of working Filipinos, overseas Filipino workers (OFWs), informal settler families, low-income earners, and communities that have waited decades for housing security.
“Alinsunod sa direktiba ni Pangulong Marcos Jr., tuluy-tuloy po ang DHSUD kasama lahat ng aming key shelter agencies sa pagsusulong at pagpapalawak ng Expanded 4PH upang mas maraming pamilyang Pilipino ang magkaroon ng sariling tahanan na ligtas, disente at abot kaya para sa mas may dignidad na pamumuhay,” DHSUD Secretary Jose Ramon Aliling said.
For many beneficiaries, the impact goes beyond receiving a housing unit or a land title. It is about gaining something they have long hoped for: the dignity of having a place to call their own and the hope to build a better future.
Ending years of uncertainty
For families who spent years worrying about eviction, the opportunity to secure legal rights over the land they occupy has brought an immeasurable sense of relief.
For nearly two decades, uncertainty was part of the everyday life of Erlinda Asiao and her family.
Like many families living in communities without secure land tenure, they carried a constant fear that the place they called home could one day be taken away from them.
This changed when they learned they would finally receive ownership of the land they had long occupied through the Enhanced Community Mortgage Program (ECMP), a key modality under the Expanded 4PH implemented by the Social Housing Finance Corporation (SHFC).
“For almost 20 years na po kaming nakatira na may agam-agam na baka kami ay mapaalis doon sa lugar. Pero this time, kinonfirm ng Social Housing [Finance Corp.], ng DHSUD, na ibigay na sa amin ‘yung lupa… Nawala na po yung aming kaba-yung aming agam-agam na mawala sa amin ‘yung aming kinatitirikan ng bahay. Nagkaroon po ng katuparan ang aming pangarap doon sa lugar namin, na kami’y magkaroon ng sariling title,” said Asiao of Megaville 2 Homeowners’ Association in Pasig City.
For her, the title represents far more than a legal document. It is the end of years of uncertainty and the beginning of a more secure future.
In Lucena City, beneficiary Donata Veloso described what it meant to finally see that dream begin to take shape.
“Nagkaroon na ng pasimula ang aming pangarap na ang lupang kinatitirikan namin ay makakatulog na kami ng mahimbing sapagkat wala na po kaming aalalahanin na kami po ay mapapaalis pa,” she shared during the awarding of Certificates of Entitlement.
The same long-awaited breakthrough reached residents of the Tala Development Project, which is covered by Presidential Proclamation No. 366 issued in 2000, through the National Housing Authority.
Nelson Calipara, one of the beneficiaries, shared their decades-long wait and expressed their community’s gratitude to President Marcos Jr.
“Simula noong late 80s, matagal na itong pinapangarap ng mga taga-Tala na mapasakanila yung titlo nia. Akala nila… pangarap lang. Kasi matagal-tagal proseso, marami nang presidenteng dumaan. Ngayon lang sa term ni President BBM na napabilis, at talagang may kongkreto nang ebidensya na ia-award na sa amin… Kaya natutuwa kami… napakagandang regalo… Sa ating mahal na Pangulo, nagpapasalamat ang buong community ng Tala na sa wakas talagang matutupad na ang pangarap nila na mapasakanila na yung lupang tinitirikan nila na wala nang pangamba na ga-grabin pa ito ng kahit sino. Kaya salamat, President Bongbong,” he shared.
Multiple opportunities
For many working Filipinos, homeownership often feels beyond reach. Daily expenses leave little room for savings, while housing costs continue to rise.
At the Palayan City Township Project in Nueva Ecija, 26-year-old medical technologist Vincent Geronimo was among those who was able to secure his own home because of the subsidized interest rate through the Pag-IBIG Fund.
“Big help po siya para yung mga…normal Filipinos, hindi ganoong kabigat magkaroon ng own place mo na tatawagin mong home,” he said.
Public school teacher Elsa Evangelista, also a beneficiary of the same project, believes the opportunity can make a significant difference for families struggling to get ahead.
“Sobrang malaking bagay, lalo na kung minimum wage earner ka… hindi ka kasi nakakaipon… dito, habang maliit ang bayad mo.. magkakaroon ka ng sarili mong bahay… magkaroon ng alam mo yung matatawag sa’yo at peace kasi nandun ka sa sarili mong lugar sa bahay,” she shared.
Home at last
For overseas Filipino workers, the dream of homeownership often serves as motivation through years of sacrifice and separation from loved ones. Owning a home shows the tangible results of years spent working abroad.
Rosemarie Libanan, who has worked abroad for 18 years and is currently in Saudi Arabia, remembers a time when owning a house seemed out of reach.
“Wala pa kaming sariling bahay dati.. ito ang pinakaunang-una… matagal na kaming naghahanap kaso parang di ko pa kaya noon kasi ang bigat sa buwanan,” she shared, after acquiring a home for her family in Crystal Peak Estates in San Fernando City, Pampanga.
In Nueva Ecija, Sharon Joy Capyo and her family are experiencing the same joy. Her husband works in Japan, and before receiving their housing unit, the family relied on relatives for shelter.
“Masaya po kami na nagkaroon na kami ng sariling bahay… nakikitira lang po kami dati sa pamilya namin… Kay President BBM, maraming maraming salamat po… nabigyan po kami ng pagkakataon na magkaroon ng sariling bahay na kayang-kaya namin bayaran,” Capyo said.
Toward a brighter future
Among the beneficiaries of the Abuab Towers in San Mateo, Rizal is Nessie Almonte, a graduate of the Pantawid Pamilyang Pilipino Program (4Ps). For her, the opportunity is deeply personal because it means being able to provide her children with something she has long wanted for them: a safe and permanent home.
“Malaking naitulong ko sa akin ng 4PH. Sobrang saya po kasi magkakaroon na po ng sariling bahay ang aking mga anak. Mabibigyan ko na sila ng maayos na tirahan. Sa ating Pangulo po, maraming maraming salamat po sa programang ito dahil sa katulad ko pong single mother at walang trabaho, nabigyan po kami ng murang pabahay,” Nessie shared.
Her story reflects the aspirations of countless Filipino parents who dream not only of owning a house, but of giving their children greater opportunities and a more secure future.
More than savings
For some families, the benefits of homeownership are already evident in their monthly budget.
Before moving into her own unit at Pasinaya Homes in Magalang, Pangasinan, Rica Joy Milo rented a small studio-type unit with numerous restrictions. Today, lower monthly payments have given her family more financial breathing room.
“Before kasi, nangangupahan ako ng studio type lang po yun. Marami din pong restriction yun… Dito naman po, P4,500 naging P2,600 na lang po. Malaki po yung difference dahil naging 3 percent. Kay President po, super thankful po kami kasi pinalawak niya po yung coverage. Ngayon, may iba po kami mapaglalaanan, na makakapag-save po kami kasi may sobra na po kami compare doon sa dati po namin inuupahan,” she shared.
From estero to a new beginning
In Metro Manila, members of the Jesse M. Robredo Village (JMRV) Homeowners’ Association, Inc. were awarded with condominium-type homes at the San Miguel de Manila Residences.
The beneficiaries have long resided in Estero de San Miguel in Quiapo, San Sebastian, and P. Casal.
For Aida Pagaspas, president of JMRV HOA, the journey was not always easy.
“Hindi po kami nawalan ng pag-asa sa halip ay kami ay nagsikap para magkaroon ng sariling tahanan na disente at wala ng pangamba ng relocation. Maraming salamat po Pangulo, sana ipagpatuloy ninyo ang programang ito,” she said.
Her words capture a sentiment shared by many beneficiaries: the belief that perseverance, coupled with opportunity, can transform lives.
Sparking hope
Even among those who have yet to apply under the flagship Expanded 4PH, hope is beginning to grow.
At the South Luzon Housing Fair in Calamba City, 54-year-old housewife Eva Quintos saw possibilities she once thought were beyond her family’s reach.
“Wala kaming kakayahang magkaroon ng sariling tahanan… pero gawa nitong housing fair, parang nagkaroon kami ng pag-asa na magkaroon pa kami ng sariling tahanan… isang hakbang rin po ‘yan para sa mga anak namin,” she shared.
For tricycle driver Rollan John Romero, the opportunity to apply for housing offers something equally important: dignity and security.
“Malaking pag-asa… na mabigyan kami ng pagkakataon mag-apply sa mga pabahay… hindi ka madidemolish, hindi ka matatanggal… malaking kaginhawaan na sa amin,” he said.
Their stories serve as a reminder that while many families have already received homes, many others continue to dream of the same opportunity.
New homes, brighter futures
More than having four walls and a roof overhead, for thousands of beneficiaries, homeownership is about sleeping peacefully at night, raising children in a stable environment, and facing the future with confidence.
From families who spent decades fearing displacement, to workers striving for a place of their own, to OFWs hoping to give their loved ones a permanent home, the stories behind every Expanded 4PH Program beneficiary highlight why ensuring access to safe, decent, and affordable homes is important. More than providing shelter, it restores dignity, strengthens communities, and gives families renewed hope.
As the Expanded 4PH continues to expand opportunities for homeownership through housing solutions tailored to the diverse needs of Filipino families, more lives are being transformed across the country.
Behind every housing unit, land title, and community development project is a family pursuing the same dream: a safe place to call home and a better future for their children.
These stories show that when families are given access to safe, decent, and affordable shelter, they gain more than a home—they gain dignity, security, and hope.
“Makakaasa po kayo na hindi titigil ang DHSUD sa pagsusulong at pagpapalawig ng Expanded 4PH upang mas maraming Pilipino ang makakamit ng pinapangarap nilang tahanan. Higit sa bahay, hangad po natin na mabigyan ang ating mga kababayan ng pag-asa at mas may dignidad na buhay sa ilalim ng Bagong Pilipinas,” Secretary Aliling said.
