PRESIDENT Ferdinand Marcos Jr. on Tuesday led the ceremonial turnover of 333 housing units to qualified informal settler families (ISFs) in Valenzuela City.
Marcos was joined by National Housing Authority (NHA) General Manager Joeben Tai and Mayor Wes Gatchalian during the event held at Disiplina Village in Barangay Arkong Bato.
The Disiplina Village-Arkong Bato, part of the city's comprehensive master plan, seeks to provide homes for qualified ISFs affected by the Supreme Court's Mandamus to Clean Up Manila Bay, as well as those living in danger zones and along waterways in Valenzuela, according to Gatchalian.
The chief executive has cited the importance of providing safe communities for families residing in danger zones.
"Whenever the weather turns bad, they worry about their families, their belongings, and their safety. That is why it is vital that we give these families the opportunity to move to communities that are safer for their loved ones," the president said.
"To our beneficiaries, congratulations to all of you. I hope this marks the beginning of building happy memories with your families," he added.
Tai expressed gratitude to the president and the Valenzuela City government for their support in implementing the housing project.
The president and other officials joined a walkthrough of the model units, visited residents, and led the ceremonial awarding of Certificates of Turnover to selected beneficiaries.
At present, Gatchalian said the Disiplina Village-Arkong Bato has nine fully completed buildings comprising the first three phases of the project.
Relocation of beneficiaries began in April 2026, with 333 families already occupying Buildings 1 through 7 under Phases 1 and 2, while the two completed buildings in Phase 3 are expected to accommodate additional families for relocation by the end of the year.
The project, which covers an aggregate area of 20,709 square meters, would have 20 four-story, low-rise buildings containing at least 1,000 housing units. Phase 4 of the Disiplina Village-Arkong Bato is currently underway, the NHA chief said.
The project broke ground on March 27, 2023, in the presence of the president. It was inaugurated on Feb. 13, 2026.
Tai told The Manila Times via Viber that the ceremonial turnover activity was in line with the administration's "Handog ng Pangulo: Serbisyong Sapat Para sa Lahat" (A Gift from the President: Adequate Services for All) initiative, which aims to bring essential government services closer to the people through various agencies nationwide.
He said other NHA regional offices also held various events in connection with the initiative on Sept. 14, 2026.
These included turnover ceremonies for housing units in the MaNaVa and Albay clusters; the awarding of housing titles and Certificates of Land Allocation in Quezon City, Parañaque, Pangasinan, and Samar; and the distribution of funds under the NHA's Emergency Housing Assistance Program in Toledo, Cebu, and Bohol.
Also joining the president during the event were Department of Human Settlements and Urban Development Secretary Jose Ramon Aliling, 1st District Rep. Kenneth Gatchalian, 2nd District Rep. Gerald Galang, NHA Assistant General Manager Alvin Feliciano, and other top city officials.