Mayor Edwin “EdSa” Santiago signed the memorandum of understanding with the Social Housing Finance Corporation (SHFC) on February 11 at the Mini-Convention, Heroes Hall.
SHFC is the lead government agency undertaking social housing programs and aims to provide ‘Flexible, Affordable, Inclusive, and Responsive’ (FAIR) solutions to the housing needs of the formal and informal sectors in the low-income bracket thru its Community Mortgage Program (CMP).
CMP assists legally-organized associations of underprivileged and homeless citizens to purchase and develop a tract of land under the concept of community ownership.
Lawyer Arnolfo Ricardo B. Cabling, SHFC president, said that the program wants to assist residents of blighted areas to own the lots they occupy, or where they choose to relocate to and eventually improve their neighborhood and homes to the extent of their affordability.
“Kung sa PAG-IBIG po ay nakakapag provide tayo ng pabahay dahil sa private contribution, at sa NHA thru government aide, ang CMP naman po ay isang community effort and collaboration. Sa pagtutulungan ng isang komyunidad nakasalalay ang pagkakaroon ng desenteng bahay,” he said.
The SHFC president also stressed that they will be putting up an office in Pampanga for the convenience of all Kapampangan. He also revealed the lowest interest rate they will offer for the housing applicants.
“May maganda pa po akong balita, on February 14 pipirmahan na ni Pangulong Rodrigo Duterte ang 2% interest rate para sa mga hindi kayang magbayad ng malaki like our standard 4.5%. For the record, 2% is the lowest interest rate for housing in the whole country,” Cabling added.
Meanwhile, Leira Buan, Assistant Secretary of the Department of Human Settlement and Urban Development, encouraged her fellow Fernandinos to believe and cooperate with the shared efforts of the national and local government.
“Believe and you will see na may katotohanan sa inyong mga pangarap the consistent efforts of our City Mayor [Edwin Santiago] posible na po at may pag-asa para sa mga Fernandino na magkaroon ng desente at payapang tahanan,” Buan said.
This was affirmed by Maureen Aga, secretary of Pinag-Isang Magkakapitbahay ng Miranda Compound Phase III and CMP Home Owner’s Association beneficiary.
“On behalf of our president Mr. Gerald Echalar and 256 more beneficiaries of CMP, I thank the national government thru SHFC and the local government thru Mayor [Santiago] who worked hand in hand to give us a decent and comfortable home,” Aga said.
For his part, Mayor Santiago expressed his appreciation to all partners of the city especially to SHFC for its programs and good intentions.
“Ako po ay nagpapasalamat sa ating mga partners, may it be our government partners, private sectors, or the community sectors lalo na sa SHFC na siyang katuwang natin sa pag abot natin sa misyon na walang maiiwan sa Siyudad ng San Fernando. Seryoso po tayo dyan,” Santiago remarked.
Also present during the signing of MOU were Councilor Tina Lagman; Atty. Ann Margarette C. Vista, Officer-in-Charge/Vice President SHFC Central Luzon Regional Operations; Randy Vergara, OIC-Manager SHFC Pampanga Branch; Noli Adora Ogot, Development Management Officer of Presidential Commission for the Urban Poor (PCUP); and, KASAUP CSFP Federation officers and members.