CITY OF SAN FERNANDO — For more than three decades, Marie Pablo waited for the day her family could finally call their resettlement home truly their own. That day came on Monday, June 22, when Pablo received her long-awaited certificate of land title for her property at the EPZA Resettlement Center in Barangay Pulung Cacutud, Angeles City.
Pablo was among the thousands of families displaced by the 1991 eruption of Mt. Pinatubo, one of the most devastating natural disasters in Philippine history. Her family’s home in Sapang Bato was destroyed by lahar and washed away following the eruption, forcing them to temporarily live in tent cities and resettlement center in EPZA before returning to Ilocos Norte to survive the difficult years that followed.
“Nasira at na-wash out ang bahay namin sa Sapang Bato noong pumutok ang Mt. Pinatubo, kaya inilipat kami sa tent city. Dahil mahirap ang buhay noon, umuwi muna kami sa probinsya namin sa Ilocos Norte para makaraos,” Pablo recalled. Now, 35 years later, she said receiving the title is more than just a document, it is a symbol of a new beginning.
“Napakalaking tulong nito dahil may titulo na kami. Para sa amin, ito na ang kapalit ng bahay namin sa Sapang Bato. Mamahalin namin ito bilang pagpapala mula sa Panginoon, at nagpapasalamat kami sa pamahalaan na naging instrumento upang matupad ito… unti-unti nakakarecover na kami,” she said. According to the National Housing Authority, a total of 60 land titles were distributed to qualified beneficiaries across Pampanga through joint efforts with the Provincial Government of Pampanga.
The distribution was led by Gov. Lilia “Nanay” Pineda, Vice Gov. Dennis “Delta” Pineda, members of the sangguniang panlalawigan, and Atty. Jhon Bernardo, OIC of the NHA Pampanga, Bataan, and Zambales District Office.
The latest distribution was held in line with the commemoration of the 35th anniversary of the Mt. Pinatubo eruption, which is remembered every June 15. According to the NHA, the resettlement program was originally spearheaded by the former Mt. Pinatubo Commission following the 1991 eruption. After the commission was dissolved, the NHA assumed the administration and land titling responsibilities for the affected families.
Atty. Bernardo said the transition from one agency to another became one of the challenges in completing the titling process. “Naging hamon ang transition mula sa Mt. Pinatubo Commission patungo sa NHA, ngunit sa pakikipagtulungan ng pamahalaang panlalawigan, tuloy-tuloy ang pag-aayos ng mga backlog sa pamimigay ng titulo para sa ating mga benepisyaryo.”
The beneficiaries include families displaced by the eruption and relocated to various resettlement areas established across the province. Based on NHA records, there are more than 37,000 beneficiaries under the program, with nearly half already awarded their respective land titles.
Governor Pineda said the release of land titles is an important step in giving resettled families the security and peace of mind they have long deserved.
For Pablo and many other beneficiaries, the title represents the end of a 35-year wait—and the beginning of a more secure future for their families. Pampanga PIO
