Thousands of residents of an urban poor community in Parañaque now own the land where they live through the intervention of Speaker Gloria Macapagal Arroyo.
The Bases Conversion and Development Authority on Wednesday conveyed the one-hectare property that Arroyo asked to be given to the occupants.
Arroyo visited the more than 400 families in Seaside (formerly Camp Claudio) in Tambo, Parañaque, bringing with her the Bases Conversion and Development Authority and National Housing Authority officials who will pave the way for the issuance of their long-delayed titles over their respective lots by the end of the year.
“Now we have reached the closure. We started this during my watch as president. I assure them that they will eventually own the land where their houses stand. But before the titling could be perfected the documents were lost, and only found during the present dispensation,” Arroyo said.
During the watch of President Rodrigo Duterte, they are assured that the titles will be theirs, added Arroyo.
Her announcement was met with jubilation by the residents who benefitted from her Executive Order 116 issued in August 2002 which declared portions of Camp Claudio as socialized housing sites for disposition to qualified occupants.
Part of the declared sites belonged to BCDA.
While the Certificate of Entitlement to Lot Allocation was issued to the residents, the processing for the release of individual titles was stalled when Malacañang in 2011 claimed the documents relating to the property were lost.
Upon the assumption of Duterte, residents again made followups.
In 2017, the lost documents were retrieved and the process resumed.
When Arroyo assumed the Speakership, she inquired on the status of her urban poor housing recipients.
It was then when she found out that a Deed of Conveyance from the BCDA to the NHA was necessary to finally process and release the titles to the beneficiaries.
Arroyo immediately coordinated with BCDA General Manager Vince Hizon for the release of the deed.
On Wednesday, the Deed of Conveyance was signed by Hizon and the NHA. Witnessing the event with Arroyo were Parañaque Rep. Eric Olivarez and Mayor Edwin Olivarez.
“I leave public service with the knowledge that the process will be completed and the residents will get their titles to their property,” Arroyo said.
Ricardo Roxas, 61, one of the original settlers in the area, expressed gratitude to Arroyo for her constant concern to their community.