2,120 contractual workers enrolled with Pagibig

A TOTAL of 2,120 job-order government employees were enrolled in the Home Development Mutual Fund (HDMF) or Pag-Ibig Fund after a memorandum of understanding (MOU) was signed Friday between Pag-Ibig and several government agencies at the Marco Polo Hotel Davao.

At least six government agencies and a people’s organization signed the MOU to include in their remittances job-order employees and association members to Pag-Ibig Fund Southern Mindanao.

These are Davao City Water District, Department of Social Welfare Development (DSWD), Department of Public Works and Highways (DWPH), Civil Aviation Authority of the Philippines (Caap), local government of Kiblawan municipality in Davao del Sur, City Government of Mati, and Association of Nagkahiusang Kabus sa Bunawan Inc.

Lawyer Darlene Marie Berberabe, Pag-Ibig Fund chief executive officer, told reporters Friday that with only P1,000 initial fund, all workers can already enroll with the Pag-Ibig Fund.

The employees retain their membership even after their contracts have expired as self-employed workers.

Even house helpers and drivers are classified as self-employed.

The contribution, she said, will be returned to the members after 20 years even after some years of being inactive.

"Sa kanila yun (It’s theirs)," she said, adding that inactive members can still earn from dividends.

Pag-Ibig benefits range from housing loan, calamity loan, educational loan, livelihood loan program, vacation loan, wellness loan, and anti-depression loan.

She said Pag-Ibig fund has only two objectives, one to accumulate savings for members and the other is investment for housing projects.

She said at least 70 percent of the agency's savings will go to housing project.