716 families on path to land ownership: Naga LGU's housing drive gains ground

By Jason B. Neola

HUNDREDS of Nagueño families are moving closer to secure land ownership as the city ramps up its housing programs, with a sharp increase in land titling and new housing projects being pursued under the administration of Mayor Leni Robredo.

At the center of the effort is the Kaantabay sa Kauswagan program, which has facilitated the awarding of 716 land titles to eight homeowners’ associations over the past year.

The number marks a significant expansion in the city’s land-titling efforts, compared with the 98 titles distributed during the Naga City Charter Anniversary in 2017.

The 716 titles represent a 630-percent increase from the previous distribution, reflecting the city’s intensified push to help organized communities secure ownership of the land where they have built their homes.

As of July 1, 2026, the city had also secured two Community Mortgage Programs (CMP) from the Social Housing Finance Corporation (SHFC) worth more than P25 million, benefiting 365 families in Barangays Mabolo and Sabang.

The city has applied for six more communities under the program, with approval hoped for within the year.

Meanwhile, 420 families are set to benefit from P65.8 million in Enhanced Community Mortgage Program (ECMP) loan assistance awarded to three homeowners’ associations in Naga.

The beneficiaries include 125 families from Mabolo Village Phase 1; 133 from Mabolo Village Phase 2 and 162 from the Saint Joseph Homeowners Association Inc.

The assistance will help the communities acquire the land they have occupied for years, giving families greater security over their homes.

For Rowena Bañas, president of the Mabolo Village Homeowners’ Association Inc., the assistance means more than simply acquiring a piece of land. It provides families with the security that the homes they have built and the communities they have formed can be passed on to future generations.

“SHFC has been a great help in giving us peace of mind—not only today, but also for the future and for the generations to come. We now have security knowing this is ours,” Bañas said.

The ECMP is an SHFC initiative under the Expanded Pambansang Pabahay para sa Pilipino (4PH) Program of President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. It seeks to expand organized communities’ access to secure homeownership by helping them acquire the land they occupy.

The city’s housing push also extends beyond land acquisition.

It has secured P480 million in DHSUD funding for its first 320-unit rental housing project in Barangay Lerma and constructed a 300-unit Modular Shelter Community on city-owned property in Barangay Pacol for displaced residents awaiting more permanent housing.

The city has also secured a commitment for the land development of Liberty Villages 1 and 2 in Cararayan, which is expected to benefit 488 families.

Robredo said the city is also evaluating proposals from private developers for social housing and pursuing partnerships to bring an ongoing People’s Plan into fruition.

“These recent gains put us on a really strong trajectory toward addressing our huge housing backlog,” Robredo said, adding that the city remains committed to opening opportunities for new applicants to its housing program.