Joy Belmonte assures 3,478 QC informal settlers of land ownership

Quezon City Mayor Joy Belmonte with land recipients in Barangays Payatas and Bagong Silangan. Contributed photo

MANILA, Philippines — After decades of waiting, families in Barangays Baesa, Old Balara, Bagong Silangan, and Payatas would already be able to own the land where they have lived as the Quezon City government formally acquired properties from various landowners.

Over the weekend, Quezon City Mayor Joy Belmonte led ceremonies for the signing of deeds of sale with Prosperity Industrial Corp., Elizabeth Elsie G. Ng et.al, Tofemi Realty Corp., and Manila Remnant Company Inc. for the parcels of land occupied by informal settlers.

The city government’s purchase included 2.42 hectares of land in Baesa; a 5,000 sqm lot in Old Balara; 9.06 hectares of land in Bagong Silangan; and 19.4 hectares of land in Payatas.

“This is the start of fulfilling your long-awaited dream of owning your homes,” Belmonte told the land recipients.

According to the City Housing, Community Development and Resettlement Department (HCDRD), a total of 3,478 families will benefit from the program; 2,000 in Baesa, 1,127 in Bagong Silangan; 301 in Payatas; and 50 in Old Balara.

Quezon City Mayor Joy Belmonte with land recipients in Barangays Payatas and Bagong Silangan. Contributed photo

The acquired lots will be awarded to the residents through a Direct Sale Program, wherein the city government will buy the property from the landowner and the beneficiaries will secure their individual title after payment of their respective lots to the city government.

“The old way was the circuitous Community Mortgage Program (CMP) that involves numerous government agencies. Now, under the Direct Purchase Program, The local government unit directly buys the land from private owners, thereby fast-tracking the delivery of lots at cheapest prices to occupant families,” Belmonte explained.

Based on the report of HCDRD, the properties’ zonal value in four barangays ranges from P9,000 to P18,000 per square meter. However, the beneficiaries from Payatas, Bagong Silangan, and Baesa will only have to pay P3,000 per sqm; and from Old Balara, P5,000 per sqm.

Quezon City Mayor Joy Belmonte with land recipients in Barangays Payatas and Bagong Silangan. Contributed photo

The land acquisitions were also made possible through City Resolution 8721-2021 introduced by Councilor Marivic Co-Pilar; City Resolution 8699-2021 authored by Councilor Franz Pumaren; and City Resolutions 8689-2021 and 8690-2021 of Councilor Mikey Belmonte.

“Adequate housing is a basic human right. It is the obligation of the city to find ways to provide secure shelter for our informal settler families,” Belmonte stressed.

The Quezon City government aims to provide permanent housing and security of land tenure to 17,000 indigent and informal settler families by 2022.