SEN. Jinggoy Estrada wants poor families living in government resettlement areas given the right to own the lots they have called home for years. The senator filed Senate Bill (SB) 1002 to allow homeless families to own government-owned land meant for socialized housing. SB 1002 ensures that actual occupants get first priority to own the land they have long lived on. “If they are the actual occupants and qualified beneficiaries, they should be first in line — not last,” Estrada said in filing SB 1002. “This bill strikes a balance between transparency in government land disposition and our responsibility to uplift homeless and underprivileged families,” he said. SB 1002 aims to “correct long-standing situations where poor families, despite living on the land for a decade or more, lose their homes because the property is sold to other buyers who can offer a higher price during bidding,” Estrada said. Instead of opening these properties to public bidding, families who declare their intent to buy can acquire them through negotiated purchase at affordable rates, he added. “Public bidding will only happen if the occupants refuse or cannot afford the government’s valuation,” Estrada said. The bill states that to qualify, residents must be recognized as beneficiaries under the Urban Development and Housing Act, must have lived on the property for at least 10 years, and “must agree to follow existing rules on resale or transfer.” SB 1002 gives long-time occupants “a fair chance to finally secure legal ownership of the land they call home, promoting social justice and protecting the dignity of the urban poor,” Estrada said. He said that the government’s duty is to make decent and affordable housing accessible to the poor — not allow them to be outbid and displaced. If passed, SB 1002 will strengthen the country’s socialized housing program and provide long-awaited security of tenure to thousands of Filipino families.