Pag-IBIG Fund has made its cash loans more affordable by lengthening its payment
term to three years, its top officials announced on Thursday (September 09).
“During these difficult times, we continue to improve our programs to respond to
the needs of our members. Last year, we launched special programs such as a
payment moratorium and grace periods in accordance with the Bayanihan Acts, to
help our borrowers with their finances. This year, we are lengthening the term of
our cash loans from two years to three years to give borrowers more time to pay off
their loans, and more importantly, to make its monthly payments lower. This is our
response to the call of President Duterte to provide the necessary services to help
more Filipinos to recover from the pandemic,” said Secretary Eduardo D. del
Rosario, Chairman of the Department of Human Settlements and Urban
Development (DHSUD) and the 11-member Pag-IBIG Fund Board of Trustees.
Pag-IBIG Fund’s cash loans come in the form of a Multi-Purpose Loan (MPL), and a
Calamity Loan (CL) for areas under a state of calamity. Also known as Short-Term
Loans (STL), the MPL and CL serve as affordable and readily accessible sources of
funds for its members. Qualified members can borrow up to 80 percent of their total
Pag-IBIG Regular Savings, which consists of their monthly savings, their employer’s
counterpart contributions, and dividends earned annually. The proceeds can then
be used to pay for tuition fees, medical expenses, minor home improvement, as
capital for small businesses, or as emergency fund during calamities.
“Pag-IBIG cash loans are paid over the course of 24 months. And now, our
members have the option to extend the term to 36 months. By choosing the longer
payment period, members can enjoy significantly lower monthly payments,” said
Pag-IBIG Fund Chief Executive Officer Acmad Rizaldy P. Moti.
He added that by their calculations, they have reduced monthly payments by
almost a third. With the average cash loan amounting to P20,000, members pay
P1,016.52 per month for an MPL, and P897.23 per month for a calamity loan under
a two-year payment term. However, with the new three-year payment term option,
the amount of each monthly payment will be reduced to only P734.57 a month for
an MPL, and P615.72 a month for a calamity loan. With payments spread out over
a longer period, monthly payments were brought down by 28% for the MPL and
31% for the Calamity Loan.
“We recognize that these are challenging times, and we are doing all we can to help
our members as the health emergency continues. From January to July alone, we
have released P25.42 billion in cash loans to aid more than 1.1 million members.
We are poised to help more members in the coming months, now that the extended
payment term has made our cash loans even more affordable. We also made the
process of applying for loans safer and more convenient by accepting loan
applications online via the Virtual Pag-IBIG. This is Lingkod Pag-IBIG at work,
especially when members need us most,” Moti said.
