By Dean Aubrey Caratiquet
As the government continues to double down on its efforts to repatriate Filipino migrant workers caught in the crosshairs of the Middle East crisis, various government agencies work on key interventions to help them start anew in the Philippines.
This, as the Pag-IBIG Fund approved a special benefits package for repatriated OFWs, giving qualified members access to their savings and providing them with a temporary relief on housing loan payments.
In a statement, Department of Human Settlements and Urban Development (DHSUD) Secretary Jose Ramon Aliling welcomed the initiative, touting it as pivotal in preserving the welfare of the displaced migrant workers and their families in their respective hometowns during these difficult times.
“Alinsunod sa direktiba ni Pangulong Marcos Jr. upang maibsan ang epekto ng gyera sa ating mga OFWs, maaari nang ma-access ng ating mga bayaning OFWs ang kanilang Pag-IBIG Fund savings kung kakailanganin nila ngayon.”
Under the approved benefits package, qualified OFW members may apply to withdraw up to 100% of their Pag-IBIG Regular Savings, including their employee share, employer share, and dividends earned, even before its 20-year maturity; withdraw up to 100% of their Modified Pag-IBIG II or MP2 Savings, inclusive of returns earned, even before its 5-year maturity; or avail of a 3-month moratorium on Pag-IBIG Housing Loan payments, free from interest and penalties, with the loan term extended by three months.
As of February 2026, Pag-IBIG Fund has 891,427 registered OFW members in the Middle East, including 86,234 MP2 savers and 40,024 housing loan borrowers, with the largest numbers in Saudi Arabia, Qatar, the United Arab Emirates, and Kuwait.
These relief measures serve as a timely response to the needs of the repatriated OFW members as they cope with rising prices of fuel and basic commodities, in accordance with the whole-of-government approach ordered by President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr. to cushion the repercussions of the energy emergency.
avds
