In the halls of the Philippine Senate, an ancient legal concept has been summoned to address a modern wound: millions of Filipinos without a place to call home. Senator Francis Escudero's Free Housing Through Usufruct Act would grant low-income families the right to occupy government land and housing under formal contract, while the state retains ownership — offering security without transfer of title. It is a careful bargain between access and accountability, rooted in Roman civil law but aimed at a very present crisis, now awaiting its second reading before it can become the framework that s
Escudero pushes free housing bill using government land usufruct model
The bill addresses homelessness affecting millions of low-income Filipinos lacking adequate housing.