NHMFC creates investigating body

The National Home Mortgage Finance Corporation (NHMFC) has created a committee to investigate its personnel who are subject of complaints in the performance of their duties in order to uphold the integrity of public service and cleanse its ranks, according to NHMFC president Angelico T. Salud.

The investigation committee is chaired by lawyers Antonio N. de los Reyes, senior vice president; Pamela Felizarta-Yabut, vice president for administration; and Eduardo A. Balauro, as members.

The committee is tasked to coordinate with different NHMFC units to determine any administrative liability of personnel subject of complaints or against whom any information has been filed with the courts of law, Salud explained.

Already, the committee is investigating the apprehension by agents of the National Bureau of Investigation last Sept. 12 and the subsequent filing against an NHMFC officer of an information before the Regional Trial Court of Makati City for an alleged violation of the Anti-Graft and Corrupt Practices Act, Salud added.

Meanwhile, socialized housing developers in Region III have cited the Pampanga office of the Home Development Mutual Fund (Pag-IBIG Fund) for its assistance to private housing practitioners which has enabled them to make available decent and affordable housing in the region.

Wilfredo M. Tan, chairman of the Organization of Socialized Housing Developers of the Philippines and concurrent chief executive officer of Haus-Land Assets Realty, said that the Pag-IBIG Fund regional office, led by Regional Manager Florentino E. España, Jr., has recently streamlined its operating systems and procedures in the grant of housing loans to its members and the mortgage take-out processing for participating subdivision developers under Pag-IBIG’s Expanded Housing Loan Program.

Through the efforts of España, the processing time for the review of loan and mortgage take-out applications, including the issuance of notice of approval, documentary deficiency or denial, has been reduced to five days, thereby greatly facilitating the release of loan proceeds for the payment of housing units bought from private developers, Tan cited.

He said that this is a welcome development not only for the private housing sector, but also to the beneficiaries of the government shelter program, as this will accelerate the fulfillment of their need for affordable housing.

"Worthy of emulation, these efforts are also in keeping with the commitment of President-Arroyo to effect a drastic reduction in the processing time for loans, as well as in the issuance of permits and clearances related to housing development and acquisition," Tan added.