Pag-IBIG launches website for Filipino Overseas Workers
A new website created for the benefit of Filipino Overseas Workers was recently launched by Pag-IBIG Fund under its Home-Matching Program. The new site shall provide the millions of OFWs with information on available housing projects, their rates or prices, and where these projects are located in the Philippines. Various housing developers have been invited to join in this campaign to tap the rich OFW market.
To access the said information, the OFWs would only need to log on to the Internet and to this site www.pagibigfund.gov.ph/hmp
Already, 12 housing developers in the Metro Manila area alone have registered in the home-matching program, which would directly link them to the web site and allows inquiries to be directed to the offerings of these developers. Another developer in Davao City has also signified its inclusion to the program.
Developers listed in the site would also give the OFWs wider choices to invest.
It was noted that the lack of information regarding various housing projects in the Philippines has prevented a lot of OFWs from acquiring properties back home.
So far, 12,000 OFWs have already availed themselves of the various packages of the Pag-IBIG Fund in the past, despite the lack of specific information site for them.
Pag-IBIG Fund reported that its extension offices abroad would take care of the processing of the applications of these OFWs once their needs and requirements would be matched with the available projects.
Pag-IBIG and SM forge partnership in collecting housing loan amortizations
Pag-IBIG Fund has recently forged partnership with the giant retailer SM in collecting the former’s borrowers housing loan repayments all over the country through the SM Bills Payment Systems Facility. Transaction wise, this facility will provide the borrowers with more ease and flexibility in paying their housing loan amortizations since bills payment counters of SM malls are open until 8:00 p.m. during weekdays and can accept payments during weekends, while Pag-IBIG Fund and the banks are only open from 8:00 to 5:00 pm from Mondays thru Fridays and are closed during weekends.
In this payment facility, the following shall be observed:
a. Only member-borrowers with housing loan (HL) monthly billing statement may proceed to any SM branches nationwide;
b. SM tellers shall check the due date indicated on the HL monthly billing statement. If beyond due date, member-borrower shall be required to pay directly to concerned Pag-IBIG branches;
c. Only exact/excess amount shall be accepted;
d. Payments shall be in the form of cash or local clearing checks;
e. SM tellers shall validate upper portion of the HL monthly billing statement to indicate payment; and
f. Acknowledgement receipt (AR) shall be issued by SM Mart Inc. The AR and the validated upper portion of the billing statement will serve as official receipt.
