Vice President and HUDCC chairman Jejomar Binay: No holidays. INQUIRER FILE PHOTO
MANILA, Philippines—Vice President Jejomar Binay on Friday announced that Pag-Ibig offices will be open on August 20 and 21, which have been declared by Malacañang as non-working regular holidays.
“In light of what we have experienced, wala kaming holiday. Monday, Tuesday may pasok kami,” Binay said in an interview after the public listing of the Bahay Bonds 2 on Friday. Binay was referring to the damage brought by the southwest monsoon rains that struck Manila and nearby provinces last week.
Malacañang, through the issuance of Proclamation No. 455 on Monday declared August 20, Monday, a non-working regular holiday in observance of Eid’l Fitr, or the Feast of Ramadan. Eid’l Fitr is celebrated by the Islamic world for three days after the end of the monthlong fasting.
August 21, a Tuesday, is also a nonworking day as it has been legislated as a special holiday to mark the assassination of the late Senator Benigno Aquino Jr., the father of President Benigno Aquino III.
Binay, who is chairman of the Housing and Urban Development Coordinating Council (HUDCC), also said that during his trips to Pag-Ibig offices in Imus, Pasay and Caloocan, he found out that many people were availing themselves of the Pag-Ibig’s Calamity Loan Program.
“On the average, 3,000 a day ang nag-aapply. Nakakatuwang malaman na mayroon kaming Pag-Ibig member na nakapagloan ng P400,000—that is 80 percent of the total savings,” Binay said.
Meanwhile, in an earlier statement issued Wednesday, Binay said that Overseas Filipino Workers (OFWs) with families living in areas under a state of calamity may apply for the calamity loan.
“Ang lahat ng mga OFW na aktibong miyembro ng Pag-Ibig Fund na may 24 buwang kontribusyon at nakatira sa mga lugar na idineklarang under state of calamity ay puwedeng kumuha ng calamity loan,” Binay said.
He said OFWs may designate representatives to submit the required documents in the Pag-Ibig branches where the OFWs remit their contributions.
A representative should also present two valid IDs and a duly authenticated Special Power of Attorney by the Philippine Embassy in the OFW’s host country.