MANILA, Philippines — Sen. Francis “Chiz” Escudero is pushing for a housing program that would allow eligible Filipino families to occupy and use government-owned land for residential purposes without transferring ownership of the property.
Escudero called for the passage of Senate Bill 2420 under Committee Report No. 78, otherwise known as the Free Housing Through Usufruct Act, during the plenary session on Wednesday.
The measure seeks to use the legal concept of usufruct to give beneficiaries the right to use government land and improvements as their homes while ownership remains with the State.
“Section 5 outlines who may benefit from adequate and decent housing under this proposal: underprivileged Filipinos who do not own a home or real property, and who are not professional squatters or members of squatting syndicates,” Escudero said in his sponsorship speech.
The senator said the proposed arrangement would allow the government to provide families with access to decent housing while retaining ownership of public land.
He said that usufruct agreements would have to be registered with the Registry of Deeds, with the Department of Human Settlements and Urban Development overseeing implementation while local governments would ensure the provision of basic services.
