The Manila Times
THE Home Mutual Development Fund (HDMF) or Pag-IBIG Fund in partnership with its mother agency — the Department of Human Settlements and Urban Development (DHSUD) — announced a series of housing fairs in Southern Luzon and Visayas, aimed at bringing more housing options closer to Filipino workers and their families. Pag-IBIG CEO Marilene Acosta said the first of the twin events in Southern Luzon took place at the Jose Rizal Coliseum in Calamba City, Laguna and on April 28, the second housing fair. In the Visayas, it has been set for April 30 and May 1 at the IEC Convention Center Cebu. More than 20,000 housing units from partner developers and the agency’s acquired properties for sale were expected to be showcased during the series of events, the Pag-IBIG chief said. Housing Secretary Jose Ramon Aliling, who chairs HDMF’s board of trustees, said both the housing department and Pag-IBIG continue to heed the call of President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. to make decent and affordable housing more accessible to Filipino families through the expanded “Pambansang Pabahay Para sa Pilipino” (4PH) program. “By continuing these housing fairs in South Luzon and the Visayas, Pag-IBIG Fund is bringing together leading private developers, Pag-IBIG Fund’s affordable financing programs, and government assistance in one accessible venue, so that more workers can move from simply hoping for a home to actually taking concrete steps toward owning one,” Aliling said. The series of housing fairs follow the earlier Central Luzon leg and forms part of the broader regional rollout of housing fairs aimed at making the path to homeownership easier and more accessible, according to HDMF. Acosta said that Pag-IBIG’s housing loans enable low-income and other qualified members, including overseas Filipino workers (OFWs), to access decent housing at monthly amortizations that are often lower than prevailing rental costs. She said that the housing fairs make these homeownership opportunities more accessible by bringing housing options and the agency’s financing assistance together in one venue. “Through Pag-IBIG Fund’s affordable housing loan programs, many families may now find that what they would otherwise spend on rent can already be used to start paying for a home they will eventually own,” Acosta said. “This allows members not only to realize possible savings on monthly housing costs, but also to build long-term household stability, equity, and a more secure future. Through these housing fairs, we are making that opportunity more tangible by bringing housing options and financing guidance together in one venue, where members can compare choices and take clearer steps toward homeownership,” she said. Aliling said the lowest monthly amortization offered in the fairs is in support to the poverty reduction effort of the Marcos administration by enabling families to shift from renting to homeownership. As a result, he said this would allow them to invest in long-term stability and redirect resources toward other essential needs such as education, health, and livelihood. The socialized housing units under 4PH that are being offered to the prospective homebuyers include the Pasinaya Heights in Laguna, where a unit priced at P1.404 million may be purchased at a monthly amortization of as low as P2,257.91 in the first year, and Asenso Yuhum Residences in Bacolod, where a 24-square-meter condominium unit priced at P1.059 million may be acquired at a monthly amortization of as low as P1,703.08 in the first year. “These affordable monthly payments are made possible through Pag-IBIG Fund’s Housing Loan Program under the Expanded 4PH, which offers a subsidized 3 percent interest rate for the first five years of the loan term, with the possibility of extension for another five years for eligible borrowers,” Acosta said. At the same time, the HDMF is still offering the Early Bird Promo, under which the first 30,000 qualified borrowers may enjoy the same 3 percent interest rate for the first 10 years of their loan, further easing the path to homeownership, she said. Aliling was joined by Acosta during the Calamba housing fair, underscoring the strong partnership to advance more inclusive housing programs, the DHSUD said.
Go to News Site