STATE pension fund Government Service Insurance System (GSIS) has sold its 14,000-square meter property in Sta. Mesa, Manila to the Social Housing Finance Corporation (SHFC) to pave the way for the construction of a Pambansang Pabahay high-rise condo project.
GSIS sold the property for P258 million to allow the SHFC to start building its housing projects for nearly 1,000 informal settler families living in critical zones, including members of the Ugnayang Lakas ng mga Apektadong Pamilya sa Baybaying Ilog Pasig at mga Tributaryo (ULAP-Manila).
“Katuwang po ninyo ang GSIS sa layunin na matugunan ang mungkahi ni Presidente Bong Bong Marcos para sa pangangailangan ng pabahay sa ating bansa. Kaya naman, hindi po kami nag-atubili na ipagbili sa SHFC ang property sa Sta. Mesa upang maibahagi sa ating mga kababayan na nangangailangan ng pabahay. Sa GSIS, walang teka-teka,” GSIS President and General Manager Wick Veloso said.
“Nagpapasalamat po ang SHFC sa GSIS sa mabilis nilang pagtugon upang mapirmahan na ang deed of sale sa lalong madaling panahon. Kailangang mabigyan na agad ng pabahay ang mga pamilyang nangangailangan nito,” SHFC President and CEO Federico Laxa remarked.
In May, GSIS has introduced a three-pronged strategy to help reduce the housing shortage in the country under the Pabahay Para sa Bagong Bayaning Manggagawa (PBBM) housing program.
The Lease with Option to Buy (LWOB) Program allows potential homeowners to acquire a GSIS property without an initial down payment wherein they can choose from 15,000 residential properties available nationwide.
Alongside this, the Housing Accounts Restructuring and Condonation Program (HARCP), which has been extended until 2025, waives all outstanding penalties and surcharges and provides extended payment terms for eligible borrowers.
In addition, GSIS will construct housing condominiums for government employees in its properties in Fairview, Quezon City, and Cogeo, Antipolo. The payment plan is tailored based on the salary grades of government workers to make these homes more accessible.
“Every Filipino deserves the basic right to safe, affordable and secure housing,” Veloso stressed.