With a shared objective to help Filipinos own a home, the Government Service Insurance System (GSIS), Philippine National Bank (PNB), and P.A. Alvarez Properties and Development Corporation (P.A. Properties) through their respective heads show the signed agreements granting the latter, a real estate developer, P1.2 billion notes facility to develop more affordable housing units. GSIS President and General Manager Wick Veloso is flanked by (from left) P.A. Properties President and Chief Executive Officer Atty. Marianne Reyna Cruz and Chairman Romarico Alvarez; PNB President Florido Casuela; and PNB Capital President Gerry Valenciano.

In an effort to address the national housing shortage, the Government Service Insurance System (GSIS), has partnered with the Philippine National Bank (PNB) and P.A. Alvarez Properties and Development Corporation (P.A. Properties), to facilitate the construction of affordable housing for Filipinos.

During the signing ceremony at the GSIS Head Office in Pasay on Tuesday, April 2, GSIS President and General Manager Wick Veloso highlighted the project’s synergy with the government’s Bagong Pilipinas’ vision of fulfilling the dreams and aspirations of every Filipino, particularly the fundamental need for a home.

“Our partnership with P.A. Properties whose advanced construction technology will help boost the country’s housing supply, is more than just a financial venture for the GSIS. It’s  a significant step towards nation-building,” Veloso said.

PNB President Florido Casuela shared the bank’s enthusiasm for the venture, noting its strategic plan to bolster housing project investments.

The agreement outlines the establishment of a P900 million and a P300 million notes facility by GSIS and PNB, respectively, for P.A. Properties. These funds will support P.A. Properties in land banking, acquisition, development, and expansion plans aimed at increasing affordable housing availability.

P.A. Properties, renowned for its 30-year history of developing affordable housing, has already built over 20,000 units in strategic locations across the Philippines. With the support from the GSIS and the PNB, P.A. Properties aims to construct 20 additional housing communities to help reduce the national housing backlog estimated at 6.5 million units.

Romarico Alvarez, Chairman of P.A. Properties, expressed gratitude for the support from GSIS and PNB. “This partnership empowers us to significantly boost our housing production, moving us closer to our goal of providing sustainable, affordable housing to more Filipinos,” Alvarez said.

The GSIS is a staunch supporter of the government’s housing initiatives, launching three programs under the Pabahay sa Bagong Bayaning Manggagawa (PBBM).

These include the Lease with Option to Buy (LWOB) program, offering GSIS’s 13,000 residential properties nationwide either for lease or sale without downpayment, and the Housing Accounts Restructuring and Condonation Program (HARCP), which assists GSIS housing loan borrowers in regularizing their accounts. In addition, GSIS is planning the construction of new low-cost housing units for government workers, in Quezon City and Antipolo.

For more details about the GSIS  housing programs, visit the GSIS website at www.gsis.gov.ph, GSIS Facebook page (@gsis.ph), and call the contact center at 8.847.4747.