Palawan: Residents of Palawan have started benefiting from the Expanded Pambansang Pabahay Para sa Pilipino (4PH) program following the awarding of certificates of entitlement (COEs) to beneficiaries on Friday. Department of Human Settlements and Urban Development (DHSUD) Secretary Jose Ramon Aliling led the awarding of COEs to the first batch of beneficiaries from the municipality of Narra as covered under Presidential Proclamation 574 signed in 2004 and President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr.'s directive.

According to Philippines News Agency, about 2,000 families in Palawan province will benefit from the housing program under the proclamation to "ensure a more dignified life and security to the land occupied by the beneficiaries." Secretary Aliling emphasized that this initiative is just the beginning, and many more families in Palawan are expected to benefit as the Expanded 4PH program continues to push forward.

Following his assumption in May, Aliling recalibrated the 4PH program and expanded its scope to include the awarding of residential lots under long-standing presidential proclamations covering lands declared suitable for housing nationwide. The DHSUD has committed to sustaining the momentum of the nationwide rollout of the Expanded 4PH program to benefit more Filipino families through various housing modalities under the flagship initiative.

Earlier, the DHSUD awarded COEs to beneficiaries in Los Ba±os, Laguna.