More than three decades after losing their homes to the eruption of Mount Pinatubo, dozens of survivors received their land titles, finally, for the properties where they have long rebuilt their lives.

The distribution of 60 land titles marked a major milestone for beneficiaries of the National Housing Authority's resettlement program and the Pampanga provincial government, coinciding with the 35th anniversary of the Mount Pinatubo eruption on June 15, 2026.

Among the recipients is Marie Pablo, one of thousands of families displaced by the 1991 disaster and relocated to resettlement sites.

“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 said.

For 35 years, many beneficiaries lived in houses that became symbols of their recovery after the eruption, but without legal ownership documents.

Now, they finally hold titles that provide security and formal ownership of the land they occupy.

“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 nakaka-recover na kami,” Pablo said.

Officials said the distribution was part of ongoing efforts to address long-standing backlogs in the resettlement program.

“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,” Atty. Jhon Bernardo, officer-in-charge of the National Housing Authority's Pampanga, Bataan, and Zambales District Office, said.

According to the NHA, nearly half of the more than 37,000 beneficiaries under the resettlement program have already received land titles.