MECO organizes housing fair in Taiwan for OFWs

The government is looking at helping overseas Filipino workers (OFW) in Taiwan to buy houses in the Philippines.

The Manila Economic and Cultural Office (MECO) has organized the first ever housing fair in Taiwan at the end of the month.

MECO managing director and resident representative Antonio Basilio said the Housing Fair is done in coordination with other government agencies like the Pag-ibig Fund, the Landbank of the Philippines, Philippine Health Insurance Corp. and the Philippine Labor and Employment Office.

Basilio said the 85,000 Filipinos in Taiwan are enduring difficulties in order to provide well for their families.

“Many dream of building a new house for their loved ones. We hope to help them achieve the latter by hosting a Housing Fair in Taipei this month,” said Basilio.

Basilio said the Housing Fair will serve as venue for OFWs and developers to meet and make arrangements for housing projects that are tailor-made to the OFWs’ needs and requirements.

“Most of the housing projects that will be offered are affordable. At the fair, OFWs will also be given a wide array of housing projects in Luzon, Visayas and Mindanao,” Basilio said.

OFWs residing in northern Taiwan including those hailing from Taoyuan, Jhongli, Hsinchu and Keelung are expected to flock to the Housing Fair.

“This fair is an offshoot of the successful participation of Pag-IBIG and Land Bank of the Philippines in our National Day celebration in Taipei in June of this year,” Rodolfo Sabulao, labor affairs director of MECO said.

Last month, Pag-IBIG officials led by Amado Dizon III, the agency’s manager for overseas operations, flew to Taiwan to promote Pag-IBIG’s housing project among OFWs in Taipei, the central city of Taichung , and Taiwan ’s southern port city of Kaohsiung.

The Pag-IBIG delegation visited factories and dormitories where they gave presentations on the programs and services of the Pag-IBIG Fund for OFWs. Pag-IBIG is one of the country’s leading housing agencies.