Pag-IBIG Savings And Investments

Pag-IBIG Housing Loan Basics. Plus: Dividends, Lost Land Title, etc

Starting this month and every end of the month thereafter, we will be posting a set of questions we receive from site visitors — especially, highlighting the most important ones that every Pag-IBIG Fund member should know — plus, our respective replies.

If you are like them you and there is something that you want to ask about your membership, home loan, buying plans, Pag-IBIG Fund policies and processes, please don’t hesitate to send your questions by filling up the Contact Form here.

We’ll do our very best to answer your questions.

Meanwhile, on to the Question and Answer for this month of April 2014.

Subject: How Pagibig Financing Works?

I would like to buy a house and lot for 500,000 pesos, but i have 250k only. How will Pagibig help me on this?Can they pay the remaining to the seller then I will pay Pag-ibig through their terms? How does the system works?

Our Reply:

That’s a good set of questions and every beginner should try to understand the whole process of a housing loan.

Pag-IBIG can definitely help you in this area, you don’t need to have P 500k to be able to buy a P 500k worth of property. With only a small amount of your own money (Down Payment), you can acquire a much larger-valued

property by availing of a housing loan. This is called Leverage. And that is a general characteristic of a housing loan — be it from Pag-IBIG, from a bank or any other financing institution.

Some articles to help you understand:

Subject: Co-Borrowing To Purchase

Here is a set of follow-up questions from our visitor named Denice.

1. So it’s perfectly legal to loan for a lot even if I’m using the money to build the house? Because we really don’t have to spend much for the lot i.e. we’re just paying for the capital gains tax and the transfer fees.

Yes

2. How do I compute my net disposable income? Is this the same with gross less tax, GSIS (yes, I work for the government), Pag-ibig, and Philhealth? Or should I also deduct the common monthly expenses per month?

You are correct. There is no need to deduct your other expenses, since it varies greatly from one person to the other.

3. I’ve heard from colleagues that there’s another government agency for housing loans with lower interests compared to Pag-ibig. I’m sure it’s not GSIS since they’ve already stopped offering housing loans. Can you verify if this is true? If so, what’s the agency?

Hmmm… Perhaps it’s the National Housing Authority (NHA) or there is another one I forgot the name but they mostly entertain and serve only the “urban poor.” They’ll have to check the community where the property is being bought and make sure it’s that overly decorated with bells and whistles and other amenities you would expect from a high-end or even mid-level subdivision.

You’ll have to check this out yourself since I’m only speaking from what I’ve known about those agencies. I may be wrong in that area, though.

Subject : Lost the Land Title

Message :

20 years ago I purchased house and lot I and has fully paid it now with updated tax payment. I move in Japan to marry with Japanese husband so I ‘m living here with my family but on that time I lost my Land Title of my property in the Philippines. What is the procedure for inquiring and where I have to inquire a replacement of Land Title in the Philippines.

Our Reply:

You have to consult a lawyer to assist you on that one. The government office in-charge of record keeping for all Land Titles in the country is the Registry of Deeds. You may have to check where their office is located in your respective city or town.

Subject: How to Become a Pag-ibig member?

Message:

Hello.I want to know,I want to become a member,but i dont have any business.but I sell vegetables in market only.Can i become a member?And how?

Our reply:

Pag-IBIG Membership is not just limited to employees. If you are self-employed or you run a business, you can still become a member.

Here is a useful guide to give you an idea:

https://www.pagibigfinancing.com/articles/2010/voluntary-membership-to-pag-ibig-fund-the-self-employed-freelancers-and-non-employees/

To apply for your membership, you have to go to the branch, but it would help if you prepare the documents already before going there. So please read that article.

Subject: Dividends / other option

Dividend -- A way of earning money through Pag-IBIG Fund Membership. — Dividends — One way of earning money through Pag-IBIG Fund Membership

Message:

Good morning to all the staff of PAG-IBIG . I am presently working in K.S.A for the last 21 years but before I left Philippines,I worked for 11 years. I was told by one of the staff of PAG-IBIG last year when I paid my PAG-IBIG that I have paid since 1988, and I have my dividends. Unfortunately, I was notable to follow up because I was out of time

I would like to inquire if , what are my benefits that I can get or avail from PAG-IBIG?

I want to know about the dividends. I am at present building my house and about to be finished. Can I get any cash to financed my house ? Or any suggestions that I can avail? thank you so much.

I am coming home for vacation this March 28,2014 and I am from Cagayan de Oro.

Good Luck and more power to PAG-IBIG

Our Reply:

Here are three of the most important benefits available to you once you become a member of the Pag-IBIG:

1. Provident Savings:

It is here where your money grows. Each year the Pag-IBIG Fund declares dividend and distributes the money to all Pag-IBIG Fund members. Your money, the money contributed by your employer (if you have one), plus the dividends all form part of the so called Total Accumulated Value.

2. Housing Loan:

Planning to buy a house? Pag-IBIG can help you finance your home purchase.
3. Cash Loan a.k.a Multi-Purpose Loan:

To learn more, here is a good article to read: “Benefits of Becoming a Pag-IBIG Fund Member”

We apologize for not updating this website for so long already. But we do intend to keep it active as evidenced by the replies we sent to the site visitors who are sending their questions.

Again, feel free to send us your questions. Use this form to contact us.

Money Matters: Pag-IBIG Fund Provident Savings and Provident Claims

by Pag-IBIG Financing Admin

Every member of the Home Development Mutual Fund — or anyone who desires to be one – should know that there are basically three types of benefits that are available to qualified members. They are the following:

1. Short-Term Loan — This is the Multi-Purpose Loan Program of the Pag-IBIG Fund that is payable in 24 months. The one thing that makes it unique is that the loan amount that can be granted to you is dependent on your “savings” with the fund. Let’s discuss the savings part in the succeeding paragraphs. A lot of people call it with many names such as personal loan, salary loan, cash loan, etc. It doesn’t matter what name you call it, you can use the proceeds anyway you want.

Click this link to know more about the Pag-IBIG Short-Term Loan Program.

2. Housing Loan — To many of its members, the Pag-IBIG Fund is almost synonymous with Housing Loan. This is a long-term home loan program that qualified members can tap in order to finance the purchase of a real estate in the Philippines. The article entitled Pag-IBIG Housing Loan 101 is a good place to start learning about this program.

3. Provident Savings — Your contributions to the Fund are like your Time-Deposit Account in the bank. It earns interest overtime and you can withdraw it, too. We’ve already mentioned a few things about this in the past article, but here we’ll elaborate more in this article, so keep reading.

Provident Savings — What Is And How It Works

Pag-IBIG Money Savings and Claims I searched for the meaning of the word “provident” and I got a good response. Provident (an adjective) means “making or indicative of timely preparation for the future.” Thanks Google, I don’t have to open my good old dictionary.

The meaning of the word “savings” should be easy, right? It is explained below.

Savings here refer to your membership contributions to the Pag-IBIG Fund. If you really think about it, that’s your own money that you “saved” with the fund. If you are locally employed in the Philippines, you know for a fact that your employer is also mandated by Law to contribute to your savings.

The Pag-IBIG Fund is one huge organization that pools together all the savings of all its members and invests that money by financing real estate development projects and mortgage loans which would eventually be beneficial to its members. As such, this money is expected to grow, or earn, over the course of time.

As a member, you must also be aware of the term Total Accumulated Value (TAV), which is your total contributions plus that of your employers (if you are employed) and the dividend earned by that money.

So essentially, Provident Savings is the TAV money which you can claim in some future time as a result of becoming a member of the Pag-IBIG Fund.

Provident Claims Or How To Withdraw Your Money

This part is exciting and irritating as well.

Here’s a minor irritation you have to deal with: you can’t just get your money anytime you need it. There are set guidelines on when you can apply for provident claims.

Here are the six instances when you are entitled to get your money from the Pag-IBIG Fund. The document requirements are also listed for each of the respective category of provident claims.

1. Membership Maturity – Regular members of the Pag-IBIG Program or the Pag-IBIG I can apply for provident claims upon maturity of their membership. Maturity here means having made an equivalent of 240 monthly contributions, so that’s roughly 20 years. (See the Basic Document Requirements below.)

Members of Pag-IBIG Overseas Program have their maturity date set from 5 to 20 years. They are advised to have their POP Passbook when applying for the provident claim.

2. Retirement – The retirement can be as early as 45 years old to the mandatory age of 65. The following are the important documents to bring:

Notarized Certificate of Early Retirement (For Private Employee, at least 45 years old)
SSS/GSIS Retirement Voucher or any two valid IDs
For AFP, Philippine Navy and Army Personnel (Any of the following: Order of Retirement, Updated Statement of Service, Statement of Last Payment )

3. Separation from the service due to health reasons

Important Documents:

Physician’s Certificate/Statement
Notarized Sworn Employer’s Certification that member was separated from the service due to health reasons
Latest SSS Disability Voucher (For Private Employee)

4. Permanent and Total Disability or Insanity

Important Documents:

Physician’s Certificate/Statement of Insanity
SSS Total Disability Voucher (If Private Employee)
For AFP, Philippine Navy and Army Personnel: ( Updated Statement of Service, Statement of Last Payment, Compulsory Disability Discharge Order)

5. Permanent Departure from the country

If you have another to call home and you finally said goodbye to the Philippines, here are some documents to prepare:

Notarized Sworn Declaration of Intention to Depart from the Philippines Permanently
Photocopy of Passport
Any of the following : Immigrant Visa, Residence Visa, Settlement Visa

6. Death

That dreaded word. Beneficiaries or heirs should prepare the following documents:

Member’s Death Certificate issued by NSO
Certification from Funeral Parlor
Notarized Proof of Surviving Legal Heirs
Notarized Affidavit of Guardianship (For children 18 years old and below, or physically/mentally incompetent)
Birth Certificate of all Children, if any, issued by NSO or Baptismal/Confirmation Certificate

To establish relationship with the deceased member, the claimant shall submit any of the following:

Member’s / Claimant’s Birth Certificate issued by NSO
Member’s Marriage Contract, if married, issued by NSO
Certified True Copy of Member’s/Claimant’s Baptismal/Confirmation Certificate
Certificate of No Marriage (CENOMAR) (For Single Only)

Basic Document Requirements

On top of the document requirements above, the following document should come handy:

Duly accomplished Application for Provident Benefits (APB) Claim
Two (2) valid IDs
Updated Service Record (For government employees)
Special Power of Attorney and two (2) valid IDs each of the Principal and Attorney-in-Fact (If member cannot claim personally)

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“Money Matters: Pag-IBIG Fund Provident Savings and Provident Claims” is written by Carlos Velasco.

Beyond Loans: The Pag-IBIG II Program As Investment And Tax Shelter

by Pag-IBIG Financing Admin

When the Pag-IBIG Fund was first conceived, it was intended to offer the following services and benefits to its members:

Provident Savings
Short Term Loans (Multi-Purpose Loan, Calamity Loans, etc)
Housing Loans

All of these are still available today.

Over time, Pag-IBIG has grown (both in terms of finances and membership) that it introduced other programs and services.

There was the Pag-IBIG Overseas Program, which was a special program meant to address the needs of the Overseas Filipino Workers. Then there was the Pag-IBIG II Program, which was not so popular but is nonetheless very beneficial to those who participated in the Program.

The original Pag-IBIG program is now called Pag-IBIG I to distinguish it from the other programs of Pag-IBIG especially the Pag-IBIG II Program.

Pag-IBIG I vs. Pag-IBIG II

One site visitor asked, “Is Pag-IBIG II better than Pag-IBIG I?”

First, please be aware that the two programs are different from each other and as you read along this article we’ll touch base with some of the benefits you can derive by participating in the Pag-IBIG II Program.

The following are the differences of the two:

1. Membership — In order to participate in Pag-IBIG II, the only requirement is that you have to be a member of Pag-IBIG I. There’s no other way. Think of it as placing an investment in the Fund, and it is really that – an investment program. Participating in Pag-IBIG II program is voluntary and is open to all Pag-IBIG I members only.

2. Contributions — With Pag-IBIG I, your regular monthly contribution is P 200. For employees, that is a 50-50 split, with the other half courtesy of the employer. Self-employed and self-paying members have to shoulder the whole amount. With Pag-IBIG II, the monthly investment is at least P 500; remember: no less!

3. Maturity — Pag-IBIG I will mature in 20 years. Pag-IBIG II matures in 5 years, though you have an option of extending it for another 5 years.

4. Dividend Rate — There’s that word again. Remember, your money in Pag-IBIG Fund will not earn an interest, but it will earn a dividend. The difference between the two is the difference between a savings program and an investment program.

The Management of the Pag-IBIG Fund assures those who are participating in Pag-IBIG II that their money will earn dividend that is a bit higher than their earning in Pag-IBIG I. However, there is no pre-stated rate of return, because the amount of dividend has to be decided by the board every first quarter of the year and whether you like it or not this will depend on many things among them is the performance of the Pag-IBIG Fund.

5. Access To Loans — Here is a slight downside of the Pag-IBIG II Program: You can’t loan against it. Remember that when you apply for a Pag-IBIG Multi-Purpose Loan, your loan eligibility depends on the amount of your TAV (contributions + dividend) from the Pag-IBIG Fund. You can’t use Pag-IBIG II in such kind of short-term loan.

[Further reading: The Pag-IBIG II Savings Program — our first article about the Pag-IBIG II Program.]

Think: Investment

You really should think of Pag-IBIG II as an investment program and keep the following points in mind:

higher dividend
shorter maturity term
guaranteed by the government
tax-free
tax shelter

Tax Shelter — Is that a Joke?

Maybe it’s true. The government is joking about the Pag-IBIG II as your tax shelter. But, don’t you think you deserve a tax break from time to time? Thanks to the Pag-IBIG Program, it becomes legally possible to avoid paying a portion of your tax.

Actually, it’s not just the Pag-IBIG II that’s tax exempt, your Pag-IBIG I is tax exempt as well. But since Pag-IBIG I contribution is normally pegged at P 200 per month, that doesn’t have a big impact on your tax due. And since there is no limit on the amount of contribution to the Pag-IBIG II, it could spell a difference on your taxable income.

In general, the simple equation helps to make the point much clearer.

Taxable Income = Basic Pay – [ (Pag-IBIG I) + (Pag-IBIG II) + (SSS) + (Phil Health) ] + …

The Home Development Mutual Fund Law of 2009 stated in its Rule IX, Section 12:

Pag-IBIG Contributions are Excluded from the Computation of the Gross Income. Pursuant to Section 32 (B)(7)(f) of the National Internal Revenue Code of 1997, as amended, Pag-IBIG Contributions are excluded from the computation of the gross income and shall be exempt from taxation.

In other words, one of the ways you can reduce your tax payment is by investing in Pag-IBIG II.

Patriotism aside, remember that tax avoidance is legal while tax evasion is illegal. And you should not confuse the two.

“Beyond Loans: The Pag-IBIG II Program As Investment And Tax Shelter” is written by Carlos Velasco.

Online Concerns: Housing Loan Applications, Membership Status And Contributions Inquiry, Etc.

by Pag-IBIG Financing Admin

Most visitors coming to this website are Overseas Filipino Workers based from different places abroad. And many of them are asking about the online facilities of the Pag-IBIG Fund (the official website is at http://www.pagibigfund.gov.ph) so they can do some transactions anywhere they are comfortable. Some of the most common questions we encounter are listed below.

I want to become a member of the Pag-IBIG Fund. Can I do it online? Do you have an online form that I can fill up and send back to you?
Can I apply for A Housing Loan Online?
May I request for my Pag-IBIG ID Number? Please send it through email.
How will I know about my past contributions?
Can I send my payments (contributions/amortizations) online?

Of course these are valid concerns as legitimate members of the Pag-IBIG Fund.

In this article, we’ll address each of these questions.

#1. Membership Application: I want to become a member of the Pag-IBIG Fund. Can I do it online? Do you have an online form that I can fill up and send back to you?

Yes, this is possible. Simply download Member’s Data Form. Print two copies and send back to the Pag-IBIG Fund.

While doing that is very convenient, the good ole way of actually handing it to the office is still best way to do it. That way, you get someone to give you an acknowledgment that your form has been received.

The most ideal way of doing it should be to just fill-up and online form — as opposed to downloading it — and waiting for a verification via email. Unfortunately, this one doesn’t exist yet. So, let’s make the best use of this one.

Your Money In Pag-IBIG Fund

by Pag-IBIG Financing Admin

This article is a must read for every Pag-IBIG Member whether active or inactive. If you are a member, please read carefully. If you know someone who is a member, please share it.

How Your Money Enters The Pag-IBIG Fund

The moment you become a member of the Pag-IBIG Fund, that’s the first time your money enters into the Fund. For some, there is really no choice. All employees who are covered by SSS and GSIS are mandated and required to also contribute to the Pag-IBIG Fund. Others are voluntarily contributing to the Fund.

Is It A Mutual Fund?

First things first. Pag-IBIG Fund is just a fancy term for Home Development Mutual Fund. That’s a handy term to help you remember it easily. Unfortunately, it also blinds you to a lot of other things about the company and what it does with your money.

Next, let’s talk about Mutual Fund. Let’s call on Investopedia.com to assist us on the definition of the term Mutual Fund:

“A mutual fund is nothing more than a collection of stocks and/or bonds. You can think of a mutual fund as a company that brings together a group of people and invests their money in stocks, bonds, and other securities. Each investor owns shares, which represent a portion of the holdings of the fund.”

That definition says a lot of things. If not for the last statement, the Pag-IBIG Fund could have qualified for a Mutual Fund Company. In other words, the usual definition of a “Mutual Fund” doesn’t apply here.

Pag-IBIG Fund and Cooperative Setup — It’s easier to think of Pag-IBIG Fund as a cooperative rather than a Mutual Fund.

Here are some important points to bear in mind:

In the Philippines, a Mutual Fund is an investment company, owned by its shareholders who are also the investors in the fund. Pag-IBIG Fund is organized, owned and controlled by the government. Members of the Pag-IBIG Fund are not shareholders.
A Mutual Fund investors can withdraw (redeem shares) anytime. Pag-IBIG Members has to wait for a maturity date to claim their savings money.
Anyone can invest in a Mutual Fund — even foreigners. Pag-IBIG Fund is limited to members only.
You can’t loan against your investment money in a Mutual Fund. With Pag-IBIG, you can take out a Personal Loan or a Housing Loan.

( To learn more about Mutual Funds and Investments in general, please head over to this article on PeraTree.com. )

It’s easier if you think of Pag-IBIG Fund as a cooperative, rather than a mutual fund. That’s the best analogy I can come up with.

Pag-IBIG Money As Savings: How Your Money Earns in Pag-IBIG Fund

Pag-IBIG says that you are saving money when you are contributing to the Pag-IBIG Fund.

In a way, yes. You and your employer have combined to save in the Fund. But, unlike a regular bank savings that you have been accustomed to, your money has no fixed rate of return. That money is being invested and its earnings vary and depend a lot on so many factors. At the end of the year, your savings will earn an annual dividend which is also automatically credited to your total savings. The total savings is also referred to as Total Accumulated Value (TAV), and it includes your contributions, your employer’s contributions plus all the dividends it earns.

Provident Claims: How To Withdraw You Money

Now comes the itchy part: How do you withdraw your savings?

(A lot of our OFW visitors are asking how to withdraw their contributions in Pag-IBIG since they are no longer active. We hope this article helps.)

You may be surprised, but your savings with Pag-IBIG is not as liquid as your regular bank deposit. In other words, to withdraw it, you have to wait… 20 years or so, that’s the maturity period of your money.

Here are the instances where you are allowed to withdraw your money in Pag-IBIG.

The member has been contributing for 20 years and after having made a total of 240 contributions.
Upon retirement (early retirement at age 45; optional retirement at age 60; mandatory retirement at age 65)
Permanent departure from the country
Total Physical disability or Insanity
Termination from service for health reasons
Death of the member (of course, your beneficiaries will be the one to claim it)
For members who have registered under RA 7742 and RA 9679, you may withdraw your money after 10 years or 15 years of continuous membership.

Armed with the information above, I’d like to ask a few questions about your money and savings in relation to your Pag-IBIG Fund Membership.

Is it wise to contribute more money to your membership fund with Pag-IBIG?
What are the pros and cons of putting more money in excess of the minimum requirement by the Pag-IBIG Fund?
Should you approach Pag-IBIG Fund as a reliable source of retirement fund?

That’s something for you to think.

Benefits of Becoming A Pag-IBIG Fund Member

by Pag-IBIG Financing Admin

It’s a deplorable fact: A lot of Pag-IBIG Fund Members, especially the employees, are not aware of the benefits they can derive from becoming (forcibly, since it is mandatory) a member of the Pag-IBIG Fund. For some, getting a payroll deduction for Pag-IBIG contribution is an automatic acceptance of something that is unavoidable -– no questions asked, no complaint unless the net salary is already far too low to even pay for electric bill. After all, there must be some deductions to the salary just like Income Tax, SSS or GSIS, right?

Well, since you are already at it and since it is an inescapable fact that you (and your employer) will be deducted with Pag-IBIG contribution, wouldn’t it be good also if you know where your money is going and what you are getting in return? After all, that’s still your money.

Here, we’ll discuss the three benefits you can get by participating in Pag-IBIG Fund. This is applicable to any member of the Fund : employees, OFW’s under Pag-IBIG Overseas program, and voluntary members alike.

If no one has explained this to you in the past, please read it carefully and share it to any Pag-IBIG Member whom you care about.

Okay, without so much talk, here are the three basic benefits you can get from being a member of Pag-IBIG.

Housing Loan
Short Term Loan
Provident Savings

That’s it. Only three benefits so far and you need to remember and understand those. Detailed explanation of each one follows next.

Housing Loan — This is perhaps the most popular program benefit of the Pag-IBIG Fund. Any member knows a little bit about this. In fact, the mere mention of the term “Pag-IBIG Fund” almost always translates to Housing Loan.

One of the mandates of Pag-IBIG Fund is to be of assistance to the public in providing cheap financing for their housing needs. Pag-IBIG accomplishes this by working in partnership with the local Real Estate Developers and arranging affordable loans to real estate buyers (Pag-IBIG members).

An affordable loan means lower interest rate compared to the prevailing rate in the market and payable in longer terms. At the time of this writing, Pag-IBIG Fund offers a home loan at a low interest rate of 6% (for PhP 400,000 loan) with a loan term of up to 30 years. A qualified member can get a maximum loan amount of up to 3 Million Pesos.

Short Term Loan — Just like SSS and GSIS, Pag-IBIG Fund also offers financial assistance to qualified member by granting short term loan.

There is a Calamity Loan for members affected by unforeseen calamity like flood, fire, volcanic eruption and other similar cases. There is also a Multi-purpose loan that you can use for whatever reasons: financing a micro-business or buying the latest toy you have been dying to get.

So, the next time you need money, before asking from your friend (who has every doubt if you can ever pay him back), try your luck at Pag-IBIG Fund.

Provident Savings — This is something that a lot of members are not aware of. If you are one of them, pay attention to this part.

Another way of looking at your contributions to Pag-IBIG is to consider it as your savings, which you can withdraw at maturity date. Pag-IBIG Fund makes it very clear that your contributions, plus that of your employer will earn dividend. Now, you can get all that money, called Total Accumulated Value (contributions plus dividend), when it reaches maturity.

Unlike the money in a bank regular savings where the interest rate is given, your earnings in Pag-IBIG is not readily foreseen ahead of time. In other words, you are essentially participating in an investment and your earnings will depend on the overall performance of that investment.

Speaking about Savings under Pag-IBIG Fund, you may also want to check the Pag-IBIG II Program, which is another investment option from Pag-IBIG and is available only to its members.

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This article on the Benefits of Becoming Pag-IBIG Fund Members is written by Carlos Velasco.