DENR rolls out climate-ready Communities Land, Housing, and Nature under “Luntiang Bukas”

Iloilo City- For many Filipinos, security begins with land they can finally call their own, a home that can withstand a changing climate, and a livelihood they can build with confidence.

The Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR), the Department of Human Settlements and Urban Development (DHSUD) and the local governments of Iloilo City and Iloilo Provinces rolled out Handog ng Pangulo: Luntiang Bukas with the distribution of 820 land titles for Western Visayas and two climate-ready housing development projects.

In his keynote address, DENR Secretary Juan Miguel T. Cuna pointed to a reality long familiar across the country: families building their lives on land without legal certainty, while facing intensifying risks from flooding, heat, and stronger typhoons.

These are conditions that also limit their ability to invest in stable sources of income.

“For too long, many of our fellow Filipinos have lived and worked on land they do not legally own, leaving them in a state of constant uncertainty. Imagine the anxiety of a parent whose children must play in crowded, sweltering streets because there are no safe green spaces nearby. Imagine the sleepless nights when heavy rains fall, fearing that your home might not withstand the next great storm or the intensifying effects of a changing climate,” he said.

The response, he emphasized, cannot be singular.

“The challenges you face are complex and multi-layered; therefore, our government’s solutions must be equally comprehensive.”

A total of 820 land titles were distributed today, with 647 agricultural, 142 residential, and 31 special patents awarded to farmers, residents, and institutions across Aklan, Antique, Capiz, Guimaras, and Iloilo, providing legal recognition to long-standing occupants and opening pathways not only for secure settlement, but for more predictable and sustainable livelihoods.

With formal land tenure, families gain the ability to plan beyond the short term: to invest in crops, improve small enterprises, and access support systems that require legal proof of occupancy.

“Today, under President Bongbong Marcos, we are taking concrete steps to reduce the fear of displacement by securing land tenure for many Filipino families, which lays a stronger foundation from which you can plan your future with greater confidence,” Cuna said, adding that over 9,000 more titles are set to be distributed in other regions.

Livelihood support was reinforced through the DENR’s environmental programs.

The distribution of 5,000 seedlings under the Enhanced National Greening Program (ENGP), including fruit-bearing and timber species such as cacao, guava, langka, and narra positions communities not only as stewards of forest restoration, but as participants in longer-term, nature-based sources of income.

Housing and urban resilience formed another pillar of convergence. The Department of Human Settlements and Urban Development (DHSUD) led the turnover of two housing projects under its Green and Climate-Resilient Housing Program, while the Iloilo City government highlighted its Linear Park Development – an initiative that improves environmental conditions while creating safer, more accessible public spaces that support everyday economic and social activity.

“Sisiguraduhin ni Secretary Ping Aliling na ang mga tahanan ay may kakayahang tumugon sa mga panganib na dulot ng klima,” Cuna said.

He likewise noted how local initiatives are shaping broader directions: “Marami nang LGUs ang gumagaya sa paggawa ng mga luntiang espasyo… hindi lamang para sa pagpapaganda, kundi para sa mas maayos at mas inklusibong pamumuhay.”

Beyond the immediate outputs, the DENR situated these efforts within its longer term rehabilitation work. From 2011 to 2025, more than 2.29 million hectares have been developed into plantations, with 1.88 billion seedlings planted and nurtured nationwide—an effort that, Cuna stressed, depends on communities whose livelihoods are directly linked to sustaining these landscapes.

“Ang Luntiang Bukas ay isang paanyaya sa mas malawak na pakikiisa,” he said. “Sa huli, malinaw ang ating hinuhubog: mga komunidad na may kasiguraduhan sa lupa, may maayos na tahanan, may luntiang kapaligiran, at may matatag na kabuhayan.”