Manila, Philippines – For as low as P30.82 per day for five years, a total of 409 families in Mandaluyong City can now have their own lots.

This, as Mandaluyong City Mayor Benhur Abalos handed out the land titles for beneficiaries of the low-cost socialized housing project at the Abella Compound in Barangay Mabini J. Rizal during the Pamahalaan sa Pamayanan (PSP) activity last Saturday.

"We bought this lot from the Abella Family which had informal settlers for some time. After the purchase, we started relocating the informal settler, developed the land and sold it to our constituents on the same price without any interest," Abalos said.

Within the Abella compound, each beneficiary has an equal lot area of 24 square meters which they will pay for five years. The total cost for each lot is P55,487.52 or P2311.98 per square meter. Twenty-five families have already paid in full.

It is up to each family to determine what type of house they can afford to put up within their respective lots.

The handing out of titles is part of the “Land for the Landless, Home for the Homeless” Program which was established by Benjamin Abalos Sr. way back in 1986.

Because of the program, the City of Mandaluyong was awarded by the World Bank and Asian Institute of Management as the Number 1 City in terms of Quality of Living.