First Couple leads turnover of houses for OFWs

President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr. and First Lady Liza Araneta-Marcos led the ceremonial awarding of five housing units under the Pambansang Pabahay Para sa Pilipino (4PH) program on Tuesday, marking the first-ever turnover of houses under the flagship initiative.

The ceremony, held at Malacañang during the Pamaskong Handog para sa OFWs, was attended by Department of Human Settlements and Urban Development (DHSUD) Secretary Jose Rizalino Acuzar and Department of Migrant Workers (DMW) Secretary Hans Leo Cacdac.

The five overseas Filipino workers (OFWs) who received symbolic keys to their new homes were Jeramie Leyno, Madeleine Anne Mallare, Ramon Mabiog, Fatima Tolentino and Rogelio Crisostomo.

Leyno is a painter in Japan, while Mallare, Mabiog, Tolentino and Crisostomo are returning OFWs from Saudi Arabia, Japan, Singapore and Libya, respectively.

The five were among the applicants for housing units in the Palayan City Township Project under the 4PH. They were endorsed by the Palayan City LGU, processed and vetted by the DMW as required by 4PH guidelines, and were approved by Pag-IBIG Fund.

The beneficiaries visited the project site in Barangay Atate to inspect the project.

As part of the 4PH program, the OFWs will receive government assistance in the form of interest support for their monthly amortization.

“This is the DHSUD’s contribution to the goal of President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr. and First Lady Liza Araneta-Marcos to provide full support to our heroic OFWs and their families, helping them achieve their dream of owning decent and safe homes,” Secretary Acuzar said.

“This is a small gesture compared to the sacrifices our OFWs make for the country. They continue to be one of the strongest pillars of our national economy,” he added.

The turnover was the first under the 4PH program, which was launched in 2022, and is the result of Joint Memorandum Circular 2024-01 signed by the DHSUD and DMW last October.

“This is just the beginning. We hope more OFWs will benefit from the 4PH as a way for the government to honor their heroism,” Acuzar said, adding that the DHSUD is exploring ways to prioritize OFWs and their families nationwide for the housing program.

Additionally, four housing units were raffled off to over 500 OFWs and their dependents who attended the event.