Pag-IBIG fair brings 11,000 housing options to Visayas buyers

Prospective homebuyers in the Visayas will have access to more than 11,000 housing units from 26 developers during a two-day housing fair in Bacolod City on Oct. 27 to 28.

The Visayas Housing Fair, organized by Pag-IBIG Fund, will be held at the SMX Convention Center, where buyers can explore available properties and learn about financing options and promotional housing loan rates.

Dr. Kenneth Macoy, chief of the Countryside Housing Initiative under Pag-IBIG Fund’s Business Development Department-Visayas, said the agency hopes to maximize the number of housing units acquired through the event.

“The initiative supports President Ferdinand Marcos Jr.’s Pambansang Pabahay Para sa Pilipino Housing (4PH) Program, which aims to expand access to affordable housing financing based on members’ capacity to pay,” Macoy said.

Under the agency’s promotional financing scheme, qualified borrowers can avail themselves of a three-percent interest rate for socialized housing loans during the first five years.

Members taking out loans exceeding P1.8 million up to P4.9 million may qualify for a 4.5-percent interest rate, while loans above P4.9 million up to P10 million carry a 5.75-percent rate for the first three years.

The promotional rates are available until the end of 2026.

Pag-IBIG Fund Western Visayas Area Head Stanley Alayon said 3,679 of the agency’s 557,216 members in the region have obtained new or better homes through its housing programs.

He clarified that the figures do not necessarily mean the other members do not own homes, as some may have acquired properties through other means.

Alayon said the housing fair aims to make affordable and sustainable housing more accessible to members.

Meanwhile, Gina Lanceta, head of the Pag-IBIG Fund Iloilo-Mandurriao branch, encouraged young professionals to consider applying for housing loans early rather than waiting until they get married.

The fair is expected to give prospective buyers an opportunity to compare available housing options and determine which properties and financing arrangements suit their needs.

However, prospective buyers are encouraged to review loan eligibility requirements, repayment terms and other costs before committing to a property.

The two-day event will bring together housing developers and Pag-IBIG Fund members seeking opportunities to acquire homes in the region.