Housing agencies are extending assistance to those affected by the recent typhoons.
Randy Escolango, undersecretary of the Department of Human Settlements and Urban Development (DHSUD) said at the Bagong Pilipinas television program on Tuesday the agency has issued a memorandum extending its moratorium on payment of housing loans in key shelter agencies (KSAs) such as Pag-IBIG Fund, Social Housing Finance Corp. and the National Home Mortgage Finance Corp.
This means borrowers affected by severe tropical storm (STS) Kristine are allowed to defer payment of their amortization in November.
Escolango said the DHSUD and the National Housing are identifying flood-risk areas for possible relocation.
He said the P200-million fund for the government’s Integrated Shelter Assistance Program which provides cash assistance to victims of natural or man-made calamities will have to be replenished to address the needs of eligible applications which continue to pour in.
According to Escolango, DHSUD and the Departments of Social Welfare & Development, Interior and Local Government and Agriculture are extending emergency response to immediately address the needs of those affected by the typhoons.
But he said the agency will transition to recovery by conducting post-disaster assessments which would take weeks or months.
“We will determine the scope of the damage and the assistance needed,” Escolango said.
Karin-Lei Garcia, vice president of Pag-IBIG Fund, in another episode of Bagong Pilipinas, said members affected by STS Kristine can apply for a calamity loan for up to 80 percent of their savings.
Garcia said eligible are Pag-IBIG members who work or live in areas declared in a state of calamity and which have made at least one contribution the past six months. The applicant should be a Pag-IBIG member of good standing for at least 24 months.
The loan can be released in as short as two days.
