The Department of Human Settlements and Urban Development (DHSUD) has ordered its key shelter agencies (KSAs) to implement a moratorium on housing amortization in areas hit by typhoons and the recent earthquake that struck Cebu province.
The directive, issued by DHSUD Secretary Jose Ramon Aliling, complies with President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr.’s instruction to extend all possible assistance to disaster victims.
‘Alinsunod sa utos ng Pangulo, handa ang DHSUD at aming mga attached agencies upang umagapay sa mga biktima ng kalamidad patungo sa kanilang pagbangon,’ Aliling said.
The moratorium applies to members of Pag-IBIG Fund, National Home Mortgage Finance Corporation (NHMFC), National Housing Authority (NHA), and Social Housing Finance Corporation (SHFC)-all under DHSUD’s oversight.
‘Bilang paunang tulong ay sinuspinde na namin ang housing amortization sa mga members na naapektuhan ng mga bagyo at lindol sa Bicol at Cebu,’ Aliling added.
The Housing Secretary specifically instructed the heads of the four KSAs to immediately declare the suspension of amortization for members affected by typhoons ‘Nando’ and ‘Opong’ in Bicol, and the magnitude 6.9 earthquake that devastated parts of Cebu.
He emphasized that the moratorium would ease financial pressure on families struggling to recover. ‘Malaking bagay sa ating mga kababayan na nasalanta ng bagyo at lindol ang hindi na muna alalahanin ang pagbayad ng buwanang amortization sa panahong ito,’ Aliling stressed.
As part of the broader whole-of-government response, DHSUD also mobilized its regional offices to conduct ground assessments of shelter damage and coordinate with other agencies and private sector partners for immediate housing assistance.
On Friday, Aliling sent a DHSUD team to Cebu to evaluate the situation on the ground. The following day, top officials joined an interagency meeting in Bogo City-one of the hardest-hit areas-to align government and NGO efforts.
Undersecretaries Ed Robles and Ramon Quintin Allado, and Assistant Secretary Hernando Caraig Jr. participated in the meeting alongside Philippine Red Cross Chairman Richard Gordon and other national officials.
The DHSUD team also inspected residential areas in Barangay Dakit, Bogo City, believed to be near the fault line that triggered the quake.
They visited the proposed site for a ‘tent city’ that will temporarily shelter displaced residents who lost their homes or remain afraid to return.
‘Alinsunod po ito sa direktiba ni Pangulong Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr. para sa pagsasanib-pwersa ng mga ahensya ng gobyerno at pribadong sektor sa pagtulong sa pagbangon ng ating mga kababayang nabiktima ng lindol sa Cebu,’ Aliling said.
The moratorium stands as a critical first step in DHSUD’s disaster response, offering immediate financial reprieve, while longer-term shelter solutions are being mobilized.