Monthly housing amortizations moratorium granted ‘Carina’ victims

The Department of Human Settlements and Urban Development (DHSUD) has ordered its key shelter agencies (KSAs) to implement a moratorium on monthly payments of their beneficiaries affected by typhoon “Carina.”

DHSUD Secretary Jose Rizalino Acuzar on Friday directed KSAs Home Development Mutual Fund or Pag-IBIG Fund, National Housing Authority (NHA), the Social Housing Finance Corporation (SHFC), and the National Home Mortgage Finance Corporation (NHMFC) to grant one-month moratorium in payments for their typhoon-affected clients.

Easing the burden

Acuzar stressed that such action is the Department’s way of extending help and easing the burden of families affected by the typhoon.

“As part of our disaster response effort, the KSAs are hereby instructed to grant a one month moratorium on the payment of monthly amortizations to their respective clientele affected by this disaster, subject to their internal rules and regulations,” he ordered.

“This is also in compliance to the President’s directive to extend all necessary assistance to those affected by the typhoon,” added Acuzar.

This move by DHSUD will benefit thousands of Filipino families with outstanding loans to the KSAs. “Ito po ang agaran tulong at tugon ng DHSUD at mga KSAs sa utos ng ating mahal na Pangulong Bongbong Marcos Jr. na ibigay ng lahat ng tulong sa mga naapektuhan ng kalamidad,” Acuzar concluded. (“This immediate help addressed by the DSHUD and the KSAs to all those affected by the calamity has been ordered by our beloved President Bongbong Marcos Jr.”)

As DHSUD chief, Acuzar concurrently serves as chairman of the boards of the NHA, SHFC, NHMFC and Pag-IBIG Fund — all offering housing and other shelter-related loans.

Relief packs

Apart from the moratorium, SHFC president Federico Laxa also said that they have prepared 9,132 relief packs to be distributed to typhoon-affected families within their project sites.

Earlier, the Pag-IBIG Fund also announced the allocation of P3 billion in calamity loans for its members. As of noontime Friday, at least 250 loan applications were received.

The Fund is also deploying its Pag-IBIG-on-wheels mobile offices to affected areas to deliver frontline services closer to the people.