Overseas Filipino workers (OFWs) are beginning to realize their long-held dream of owning a home through the government’s Expanded Pambansang Pabahay para sa Pilipino (4PH) Program, according to the Department of Human Settlements and Urban Development (DHSUD).

Several beneficiaries expressed gratitude to President Ferdinand Marcos Jr., citing the program’s affordability and accessibility as key factors in finally securing a permanent residence after years of working abroad.

Rosemarie Libanan, an OFW based in Saudi Arabia for 18 years, said her family is set to own its first home at Crystal Peak Estates in Pampanga, one of the Expanded 4PH developments.

“Wala pa kaming sariling bahay dati... ito ang pinakaunang-una... matagal na kaming naghahanap kaso parang di ko pa kaya noon kasi ang bigat sa buwanan,” she said in an online interview conducted by the DHSUD.

Libanan shared that she applied through the Pag-IBIG Fund after learning about the project in her hometown, with her brother assisting in monitoring the unit.

“Sana pag-uwi namin this year, mapuntahan na namin siya. Maganda raw yung puwesto, malapit sa lahat. Excited ako kasi kahit wala ako dun lagi, yung pamilya ko... pwede silang mamasyal dun,” she added.

In Nueva Ecija, Sharon Joy Capyo, whose husband works in Japan, also welcomed the opportunity to own a home through the Palayan City Township Project.

“Masaya po kami na nagkaroon na kami ng sariling bahay... nakikitira lang po kami dati sa pamilya namin,” Capyo said.

“Kay President BBM, maraming maraming salamat po... nabigyan po kami ng pagkakataon na magkaroon ng sariling bahay na kayang-kaya namin bayaran,” she added.

Other beneficiaries, including Jeremy Leyno, a painter in Japan, and Madelaine Ann Mallare, a nurse in Saudi Arabia, also expressed appreciation for the housing initiative.

Under the program, the DHSUD, through the Pag-IBIG Fund, exempts OFWs from the monthly salary cap and includes them among priority beneficiaries. The initiative offers a subsidized interest rate of three percent, making homeownership more attainable.

DHSUD Secretary Jose Ramon Aliling said the program aims to make housing more affordable and accessible for Filipinos, particularly OFWs.

“Malinaw ang direktiba ni Pangulong Marcos Jr.—gawing mas abot-kaya, mas mabilis, at mas accessible ang pabahay para sa bawat Pilipino, kabilang dito ang ating mga bagong bayani na OFWs,” Aliling said.

“Sa pamamagitan ng Expanded 4PH, binibigyan natin sila ng pagkakataon na maranasan ang bunga ng kanilang sakripisyo—isang sariling tahanan na maaari nilang uwian,” he added.

The Expanded 4PH Program continues to roll out housing projects nationwide, targeting more Filipinos who seek safe, decent, and affordable homes.

For many OFWs, the initiative represents more than just housing—it fulfills a long-standing aspiration to provide stability and dignity for their families.

“Maraming salamat sa programang ito ng gobyerno... dahil ang daming OFW kahit matagal na nagtatrabaho ay wala pang nabibilhan na property... pangarap nila para sa pamilya nila na habang nag-aabroad sila, pag-uwi nila, meron silang bahay na masasabing sa kanila,” Libanan said.

Aliling reiterated the government’s commitment to expanding access to housing.

“Ang layunin ng Expanded 4PH ay hindi lamang magpatayo ng bahay, kundi magbigay ng pagkakataon sa bawat Pilipino—lalo na sa ating mga OFWs—na magkaroon ng sarili nilang tahanan na simbolo ng kanilang sakripisyo, pag-asa, at tagumpay para sa kanilang pamilya,” he said.