Innovative Urban Tenure in the Philippines (Summary Report)

This publication documents and draws lessons from the Philippines' experience in implementing alternative approaches in securing tenure for the urban poor. It also explores how these approaches can be institutionalized and ensure sustainability. The study examines three approaches: presidential land proclamations, the Community Mortgage Program, and the usufruct arrangement.

The key features of each approach are described and their application illustrated through two actual cases. The approaches are then analyzed in terms of the legal and institutional frameworks that supported their implementation and the benefits they delivered, both as perceived by the beneficiaries and in terms of meeting the broader social need for secure housing and tenure.