President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. rained praise on shelter agency Pag-IBIG Fund as the government’s most prominent partner in achieving the government’s goal of providing decent housing for all Filipinos.

During National Expo 2025, Marcos lauded the government-owned and controlled corporation for giving its members a chance to make their hopes and dreams a reality.

To date, nearly 400,000 families have received homes they can call their own with the help of Pag-IBIG programs.

“This year alone, through Pag-IBIG, more than 57,000 members have been given the opportunity to move into their own homes or have their homes renovated,” he said.

“At the same time, nearly P75 billion in cash loans has been distributed. This has helped nearly three million members meet their immediate needs,” he added.

Low rates boost home ownership

Marcos noted that the government’s flagship housing program, the Expanded Pambansang Pabahay Para sa Pilipino Housing Program or 4PH, has enabled low-income earners to own homes.

Combined with a three-percent interest rate, applying for housing loans had become easier.

“Our dear OFWs can also benefit from this low interest rate,” he said. “Beneficiaries and graduates of the Pantawid Pamilyang Pilipino or 4Ps program can also apply with the help of our Expanded 4PH.”

In celebration of National Shelter Month, Marcos announced that Pag-IBIG will issue Notices of Approval, allowing members to receive their cash loans from the agency for home renovation and other improvements.

For residents who need housing certificates for the land where their homes are built, Marcos said presidential proclamations have allowed the issuance of Certificates of Entitlement (CoE).

More than 5,000 families living in Los Baños, Laguna; Lucena City, Iloilo City and Caloocan City will receive CoEs.

“Finally, you will formally own the land you have lived on for so long — land that can truly be called yours,” he said.

“These are just a few examples of the proof that dreams, as long as they are accompanied by perseverance and support from the government, the private sector, and all sectors of our society, can become a reality,” he added.

Meanwhile, Marcos thanked the government’s private sector partners, developers, and financial institutions that form the housing sector.

“May we further strengthen our service so that more of our fellow Filipinos can be helped,” he said.

He noted that a house is not just a structure; it is a place where character is developed, love is nurtured, and where dreams take form.

“As long as there are Filipinos who desire their own homes, the government will not stop with its mission,” he said.

The combined efforts of Pag-IBIG, the Department of Human Settlements and Urban Development (DHSUD), and the National Housing Authority aim to provide 730,000 families with homes by 2028 under the 4PH program.

Expanded 4PH on track

The housing showcase was in furtherance of President Marcos’s push for safer, decent and dignified government housing under the flagship Expanded 4PH, DHSUD Secretary Jose Ramon Aliling said.

More than 50 of the country’s reputable private developers participated in the two-day expo showcasing their housing projects; some even assembled mock-up model units in the trade center to attract homebuyers.

According to Pag-IBIG Fund, about 30,000 potential homebuyers were expected to attend the National Housing Expo 2025 as indicated by the online registration. 

More than 100,000 brand new homes from the 50 participating developers were put on sale through the Pag-IBIG Housing Loan, while over 30,000 Pag-IBIG Acquired Assets were offered at discounts of up to 40 percent. 

“The National Housing Expo stands as a landmark initiative that unites and brings together the entire housing sector, both government agencies and private institutions alike, in fulfillment of President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr.’s directive to ensure that every Filipino family has access to affordable and decent housing,” Aliling said. 

“As part of our National Shelter Month activities this October, we are also holding regional housing fairs in Cagayan de Oro, Cebu, Iloilo, Pampanga, Bacolod, Batangas and General Santos. These events, along with this expo in Metro Manila, form part of our nationwide push to bring the Expanded 4PH Program closer to Filipino families across the country,” he added.

“This is another innovation in the housing industry — a collaboration between the government and the private sector in advancing President Marcos Jr.’s vision of safe, decent, affordable, and dignified housing for Filipino families” Aliling said.