PAGTATAAS SA SAVINGS RATE NG PAG-IBIG FUND APRUB SA LABOR, EMPLOYER GROUPS

MATAPOS  ang ilang buwang konsultasyon sa publiko, nakuha ng Pag-IBIG Fund ang suporta ng grupo ng mga manggagawa at employers na taasan ang tatlong dekada nang P100 buwanang savings rate ng kanilang mga miyembro, ayon sa top executives.

“The low interest rates of our home loans make homeownership within reach of our members, so much so that the availment of our home loans has grown tremendously. And for us to continue financing the growth in home loans of our members under such low rates, there is a need to increase our members’ P100 monthly savings. But because President Rodrigo Roa Duterte has standing orders to consider the plight of the Filipino workers, we have spent the last six months consulting with labor unions, OFW non-government organizations (NGOs), employer groups, and other stakeholders to seek their views on our plan to increase the membership savings rate,” pahayag ni  Secretary Eduardo D. del Rosario, Chairman  ng  Housing and Urban Development Coordinating Council (HUDCC) and Pag-IBIG Fund Board of Trustees.

Ayon pa rito,  mula Abril hanggang Setyembre ay nakikipag-usap ang Pag-IBIG Fund sa Trade Union Congress of the Philippines (TUCP), Philippine Government Employees Association (PGEA), Kapisanan ng mga Manggagawa sa GOCCs at GFIs (KAMAGGFI), Federation of Free Workers (FFW), the Filipino Migrant Workers Group, OFW NGOs, the National Anti-Poverty Commission (NAPC), at  Employers Confederation of the Philippines (ECOP).

Ipinaliwanag ni Pag-IBIG Fund Chief Executive Officer Acmad Rizaldy P. Moti  na ang mga konsultasyon   ay umikot sa panukala  ng ahensiya na  itaas ang buwanang savings ng mga miyembro ng  Pag-IBIG Fund  na nanatiling P100 sa loob ng 30 taon.

“Demand for our home loans has grown annually at an average of 17.5% in the past 5 years. We have been able to sustain this double-digit growth in 2019 with the release of P58.73 billion in home loans in the last nine months.  This is the highest-ever amount released for any January to September period and is a 13.5% increase from the P51.76 billion released in the same period last year.  At the current membership savings rate, in addition to our housing and short-term loan collections, we have more than enough funds to support up to 10% average growth rate in home loans until 2024.  But as we expect demand to remain strong with growth at around 15% annually in the coming years, we need to find additional sources of funds to sustain the low loan interest rates we currently offer to our members. Our proposal is to adjust the members’ savings rate to P200 per month by 2021, which will be matched by an equivalent amount by their employers,”  sabi ni Moti.

Ang mga iminungkahing adjustment ay magbibigay ng karagdagang pondo sa ahensiya upang matugunan ang loan demand rito,  at mapanatiling mababa  ang mga rate ng interes sa mga pautang sa pabahay at pautang sa kalamidad hanggang sa 2024.

Binigyang-diin pa ni Moti na ito umano ay makadaragdag sa benepisyo ng mga miyembro dahil sa bawat piso  na kanilang matitipid ay mapupunta sa kanilang Pag-IBIG Fund Savings. They will be entitled to bigger cash loans as a result of their higher savings.  They will also receive higher lump-sum savings once they retire or once they reach 20-year membership maturity,” dagdag pa nito.