Cebu: The Department of Human Settlements and Urban Development (DHSUD) and the Pag-IBIG Fund on Thursday rolled out a housing fair in Cebu aimed at accelerating homeownership in the Visayas through the government's Expanded Pambansang Pabahay para sa Pilipino (4PH) Program.

According to Philippines News Agency, the initiative aligns with President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr.'s directives to expand access to affordable housing and improve the lives of Filipino families by providing decent shelters. DHSUD Secretary Jose Ramon Aliling emphasized the goal of making housing more accessible to Filipinos, particularly workers and families who have long aspired to own a home.

"Sa pamamagitan ng Pag-IBIG Housing Fair, nailalapit natin ang serbisyong pabahay ng gobyerno at napapalawig natin ang kaalaman tungkol sa Expanded 4PH (Through the Pag-IBIG Housing Fair, we bring the government's housing services closer and expand knowledge about Expanded 4PH)," Aliling stated.

The event, held at the IEC Convention Center Cebu (IC3), featured over 40 developers offering more than 20,000 housing units. It also served as a comprehensive venue, showcasing the Pag-IBIG Fund's financing schemes and promotional interest rates, making home loans more accessible to first-time buyers.

Aliling added that the fair aims to tackle common barriers to homeownership, such as limited program awareness, financial constraints, and uneven access to housing opportunities across different regions. "Hindi lang ito simpleng exhibit. Ito ay konkretong hakbang upang mabigyan ang ating mga kababayan ng tunay na pagkakataon na magkaroon ng sariling tahanan (This is not just a simple exhibit. This is a concrete step to give our fellow citizens a real opportunity to have their own home)," he mentioned.

DHSUD further noted that the event coincides with the Labor Day celebration on May 1, highlighting the government's commitment to supporting Filipino workers in building stable and secure futures through homeownership.