3.2-M Pag-IBIG members secure loans

3.2-M Pag-IBIG members secure loans | Daily Tribune

Pag-IBIG Fund helped 3.2-million Filipino workers meet their immediate financial needs through its short-term loan (STL) programs from January to October 2025, a 28-percent increase in borrowers compared to the same period last year, fund officials announced on 1 December.

The officials said more members are turning to Pag-IBIG for fast and affordable financial assistance at critical times, especially now that loan applications can be filed easily through Virtual Pag-IBIG, giving members convenient access anytime and anywhere.

Department of Human Settlements and Urban Development (DHSUD) Secretary and Pag-IBIG Fund Board chairperson Jose Ramon P. Aliling said the growing number of assisted members reflects the agency’s commitment to delivering responsive and dependable public service in line with the directives of President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr.

“Pag-IBIG Fund’s strong performance in extending short-term loans reflects its proven dependability in providing Filipino workers with immediate financial assistance when they need it most,” Aliling said.

“These gains reflect our resolve to fulfill President Marcos’s vision of a government that delivers timely and dependable support. Pag-IBIG remains committed to providing financial assistance that is affordable, accessible, and firmly grounded in our mandate to serve the Filipino worker with excellence,” he added.

Of the 3.2-million members helped, 2.74 million availed of the multi-purpose loan (MPL) to cover school expenses, medical bills, livelihood capital, home repairs, and other essential needs.

Another 535,546 members benefited from the calamity loan, enabling families to rebuild after typhoons, floods, and other disasters.

Pag-IBIG Fund CEO Marilene C. Acosta expressed gratitude for the sustained trust of Filipino workers. She noted that earlier this year, the agency increased the loanable amount under its STL programs, allowing members to borrow up to 90 percent of their Pag-IBIG regular savings, which consist of their monthly contributions, their employer counterpart share, and the annual dividends earned.

Price update for housing projects

The DHSUD said the Department of Economy, Planning and Development (DEPDev) has agreed to update the price ceiling for socialized housing — both for house and lot packages and condominiums.

Secretary Aliling welcomed the agreement, formalized by the signing of the Joint Memorandum Circular (JMC) 2025-001, as a huge boost to the ongoing nationwide rollout of the flagship Expanded Pambansang Pabahay para sa Pilipino (4PH) program.

He branded the JMC, a product of sustained dialogues with stakeholders and tedious deliberations between DHSUD and DEPDev officials as a win-win for both the homebuyers and the private developers of socialized housing projects.

The updating of the socialized housing price ceiling is in compliance with Republic Act 11201, the law that created the DHSUD which mandates the “DHSUD and the National Economic and Development Authority, now DEPDev, to jointly determine, review, and revise the maximum selling price at any time but not more than once every two years, to align with the prevailing economic conditions.”