Noli pushes for investment of 70% of Pag-IBIG Fund in housing projects

Vice President and concurrent Housing and Urban Development Coordinating Council (HUDCC) chairman Noli de Castro urged yesterday the Senate and Lower House to restore the provision in the Charter of the Home Development Mutual Fund (HDMF) or Pag-IBIG Fund that the shelter agency should “invest not less than 70 percent of its investible fund to housing.”

De Castro thanked the Senate and House for pushing the amendments in the Charter of the Pag-IBIG Fund that seeks to strengthen not only the Fund but the entire housing sector.

He said the draft bills approved by Congress would restore the tax-exempt privilege of Pag-IBIG Fund and authorize the board to set the contribution rates of members which would result in additional funds for the benefit of Pag-IBIG members.

However, De Castro objected to the deletion of the provision in Pag-IBIG’s existing Charter that the Fund should “invest not less than 70 percent of its investible fund to housing.”

“Housing is one sector with a big multiplier effect on the economy. Every P1 million invested in housing translates to P16.6 million of economic activity in the country,” De Castro said. “At this time of the global financial crisis, we need to put our funds in industries that would stimulate the economy and create more jobs for our people.”

He urged Congress to restore the provision to realize the prospective law’s objectives of providing the Filipino citizen with sufficient shelter through the mobilization of funds for shelter finance. – Pia Lee-Brago, Jose Rodel Clapano