Photo By: Pampanga PIO
CITY OF SAN FERNANDO, Pampanga — Three and a half decades after the catastrophic eruption of Mt. Pinatubo displaced thousands of families across Central Luzon, the government continues to close one of the longest-running housing and resettlement chapters in the region through the distribution of land titles to qualified beneficiaries.
A total of 60 families residing in resettlement communities in Pampanga recently received Certificates of Land Title under a joint initiative of the National Housing Authority (NHA) and the Provincial Government of Pampanga, marking another milestone in the effort to provide security of tenure to survivors of the 1991 disaster.
The latest distribution, held in time for the 35th anniversary of the Mt. Pinatubo eruption, highlights the ongoing government drive to address decades-old land titling backlogs that persisted following the transition of responsibilities from the former Mt. Pinatubo Commission to the NHA.
According to NHA Pampanga, Bataan and Zambales District Office Officer-in-Charge Atty. Jhon Bernardo, the transfer of administration between agencies created challenges that slowed the processing of ownership documents for many beneficiaries. Through sustained coordination with the provincial government, however, efforts to clear pending cases have continued.
Records show that more than 37,000 families were covered by the resettlement program established after the eruption, with nearly half already receiving their respective land titles.
Photo By: Pampanga PIO
Governor Lilia “Nanay” Pineda emphasized that granting land ownership strengthens the long-term stability of resettled families by providing legal rights over properties they have occupied for decades.
For many recipients, the land titles represent more than proof of ownership—they signify the fulfillment of a government commitment made after one of the country’s worst natural disasters and a step toward securing a permanent future for generations to come. (PR-Pampanga PIO)