More than 100 city government employees are taking a major step toward homeownership as Pag-IBIG Fund and the Naga City government began Tuesday the turnover of affordable housing units under a partnership launched only two months ago.

The initial Naga City Employees Housing Project covers 576 units, each priced at P350,000, at BellaVita Naga in Barangay Pacol. Qualified employees may acquire the units through Pag-IBIG housing loans at a subsidized interest rate of three percent per year for the first five years under the Expanded Pambansang Pabahay para sa Pilipino (4PH) Program.

The project particularly targets employees in lower salary grades and first-time homebuyers who may otherwise struggle to afford a home.

Mayor Leni Robredo said providing affordable housing to city employees had long been an aspiration of the local government, but affordability was a major obstacle.

“For many years, it had been our aspiration to provide housing for our city employees, but affordability was always a challenge, especially for those in the lower salary grades,” Robredo said.

She said the partnership with Pag-IBIG and BellaVita made homeownership possible.

“Just two months after signing our agreement, more than 100 housing loan accounts were taken out, and we are very happy to see our employees becoming homeowners,” Robredo said.

She said the program could eventually be expanded to teachers, uniformed personnel and other workers in Naga, including members of the informal sector.

The housing turnover coincided with the celebration of Jesse Robredo Day honoring the late Naga mayor and interior secretary who set the bar for good governance and public service.

Pag-IBIG Fund, BellaVita, and the city government also established a government-to-government documentation arrangement to streamline loan processing and facilitate the takeout and turnover of units to qualified employee-beneficiaries.

Pag-IBIG Fund CEO Marilene C. Acosta said the project demonstrates how national and local governments can work with the private sector to make homeownership more accessible to Filipino workers.

“What we are seeing in Naga shows how this direction can be translated into actual homes when a local government identifies the needs of its workforce and government institutions align housing delivery and affordable financing around those needs,” Acosta said.

The Naga project also strengthens Pag-IBIG Fund’s collaboration with Ayala Land, whose BellaVita development is part of the initiative. The fund recently signed a memorandum of understanding with Ayala Land residential brands Avida and Amaia to expand housing choices and Pag-IBIG financing options for Filipino workers.