OVP/ PNS — MORE than 1,000 government employees trooped to Glorietta in Makati yesterday to participate in the country’s biggest housing fair organized by the Housing and Urban Development Coordinating Council (HUDCC).
Accompanied by Vice President and HUDCC concurrent chairman Noli ‘Kabayan’ De Castro, President Gloria Macapagal Arroyo led the opening ceremonies of the fair, which involves the sale of around 60,000 foreclosed housing units.
Before leaving for China, Arroyo congratulated De Castro for the event, which was organized to provide housing opportunities to government employees.
“This is supposed to be for government employees but we decided to open it to the general public especially for low salaried workers,” De Castro said.
He said the fair offers to sell houses that were repossessed by government agencies such as the Home Guaranty Corp., National Housing Authority, National Home Mortgage Finance Corp., Pag-IBIG Fund, Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas (BSP), the Philippine Deposit Insurance Corp., the Land bank of the Philippines (LBP), the Government Service Insurance System (GSIS), and the Social Security System (SSS).
De Castro said up to 25 percent discount was offered by Land Bank to those who would buy its foreclosed houses in cash.
“That’s a very good offer. Other agencies like Pag-Ibig and the Central Bank are offering 15 percent discount. But Landbank is giving our people a better deal to own houses,” he said.
To provide assistance, various heads of the key shelter and other government agencies were also present during the launch.
Because of the overwhelming turnout, the event has been extended until tomorrow (October 29), which was originally a two-day affair.
However, even if the activities would conclude this weekend, De Castro said the offers of the various agencies are good up to April next year.
“I believe that interested buyers won’t buy right away. Of course they need to think and consult with their families. Besides, we have about 60,000 houses that are for sale. Hindi kaagad mauubos yan so it’s just okay if it lasts until next year,” De Castro
said.