Tuesday, October 16, 2007 Cheap Pag-Ibig housing units come with illegal occupants By Carlo P. Mallo
ACQUIRING a housing unit through the foreclosed units of the Housing Development Mutual Fund (HDMF) or the Pag-Ibig Fund may be cheap but it still comes at a price: illegal occupants.
Illegal occupants of foreclosed housing units have become a perennial problem of the HDMF. "It is one of the complaints that we usually receive," Agustin Deguilmo, representative of the HDMF, said during the Kapehan sa Dabaw Monday at SM City Davao.
Deguilmo added that they usually send notices to the illegal occupants ordering them to vacate the housing units. "Matigas talaga ang mga ulo nila, (they are hard-headed)" Deguilmo said.
In order to compensate for the hassle of evicting an illegal occupant, the HDMF offers a five percent discount. "We give a 5 percent discount if there is an illegal occupant," Deguilmo added.
Moreover, the HDMF is gearing for the Housing Fair 2007 on October 23 to 25. Deguilmo said that the nationwide three-day event will be offering as much as 50 percent of the ceiling prices of its units.
"Also, the selling of units will be through a first come first serve basis, and not through the usual public bidding," Deguilmo added. But after October 31st, the disposal of housing units would be done through public bidding.
"Over 6,000 units would be for disposal during the event," Deguilmo said.
