Home>Editorial>Opinion>Appeal to HLURB and HUDCC
Opinion

Appeal to HLURB and HUDCC

THERE’S a humble subdivision in Las Pinas diligently waiting for the Housing and Land Use Regulatory Board (HLURB) to conduct the much awaited election of officers for the village’s homeowners’ association.

A decision was earlier made by HLURB to hold the election for the Woodridge Homeowners’ Association Inc. (WHAI) after the quasi judicial agency declared the last election null and void due to poll fraud. The decision was handed down late last year following a case filed by vigilant homeowners earlier.

Until now however, HLURB has not yet set a date for the polls, leaving very important matters of the association, particularly its survival, in the hands of a leadership benefitting from a holdover capacity.

Lack of support from homeowners already rendered the WHAI bankrupt as shown by its dwindling funds in the bank and piling up bills on security and other service providers.

If WHAI loses the vital security and power services, the villagers will surely become sitting ducks to thieves, riding in tandem, and other bad elements. It will also weaken the community’s defenses against the threat posed by the COVID-19 pandemic.

In other words, the safety and health of more than a hundred families in the subdivision will be compromised, something President Rodrigo Duterte would not like to happen given his relentless effort to save millions of Filipinos from the global outbreak.

But Duterte’s hands are full with other priorities, most of which are the poor families hardest hit by the health crisis. Good to know he is aided by reliable government agencies–DOH, PNP, DILG, etc—which are busy implementing national anti-covid 19 programs.

Now, I wonder what’s keeping HLURB headed by its chief executive officer and commissioner Melzar P. Galicia or even the Housing and Urban Development Coordinating Council led by Secretary Eduardo Del Rosario busy lately.

As extended arms of Duterte, they are also expected to help people in need. Families in Woodridge need to install new leaders as soon as possible. Delaying the polls could result to the village’s decay.

Their immediate action of HLURB and HUDCC can truly help the association recover from corruption and the pandemic.

**

For the benefit of more state workers, the Government Service Insurance System (GSIS) is extending its Financial Assistance Lan program (GFAL) until December 29, 2021.

GSIS has posted disbursement of over P110 billion under the program since its launch in May 2018, benefitting more than 271,000 government employees.

GSIS President and General Manager Rolando Ledesma Macasaet said by transferring their loans from other lending institutions and consolidating these under GFAL, GSIS members will benefit from reduced monthly amortization, lower interest rate of 6% per annum and longer payment term of six years. They will also enjoy higher take-home pay and their retirement benefits will be protected from loan deductions while helping GSIS improve its loan collection efficiency.

Aside from paying out the debts of members with other lending institutions, GFAL has the Top-Up Loan feature that allows members to borrow the remaining loan amount for their personal needs. If a member’s GFAL loan, for instance is P300,000, he or she may borrow the remaining P200,000 under the Top-Up Loan.

To qualify, borrowers must be permanent government employees with a minimum of three years of paid premiums or appointed, elected, or non-permanent government employees with at least 15 years of paid premiums; have outstanding loans from lending institutions; and have no due and demandable GSIS loan. In addition, they should not be on leave without pay; have no pending administrative or criminal case except if the case is due to loan nonpayment due to the prioritization of GSIS payments; and have a net take-home pay that is not lower than the P5,000 requirement under the General Appropriations Act.

Applicants must submit a duly accomplished application form; statement of account from the lender; ID of the lending institution’s authorized representative; and loan agreement, voucher, or other certified documents containing the loan details. They must also submit their previous month’s payslip prior to the GFAL application. The payslip must be certified by the agency authorized officer (AAO). A clear photo of the borrower holding the accomplished form and unified multi-purpose identification (UMID) card is also required. In the absence of a UMID card, a photo of their two valid IDs (front and back) may be submitted.

As a safety protocol, applicants may email the requirements to their designated GSIS branch office or submit the same in drop boxes located in GSIS branch offices. Their AAO may submit the requirements on their behalf via email. Liaison officers may likewise submit their application through drop boxes.

Attendance to the financial literacy seminar, one of the requirements for GFAL, may now be complied with by watching the video explainer posted on the GSIS’s website (www.gsis.gov.ph) or by attending a virtual seminar via Zoom or Webex. Loan applicants may also participate in the seminar conducted by their respective HR departments.

**

For comments, please call or text 09569012811 or email [email protected]