The Social Housing Finance Corp. (SHFC), a key shelter agency (KSA), is declaring a moratorium on monthly payments for national housing beneficiaries affected by Severe Tropical Storm Kristine. "Ito ay para maibsan naman iyong kanilang mga gastusin during the time na nagre-recover pa sila sa kalamidad na ito (This is to ease their expenses while they are still recovering from this calamity)," SHFC president and chief executive officer Federico Laxa said in a Bagong Pilipinas interview Friday. The SHFC is one of the KSAs under the Department of Human Settlements and Urban Development. Laxa said aside from the moratorium, they coordinate with those who contact them for relief goods in areas hit by Kristine. "Ngayon, wala pa kaming (Now, we don't have) numbers but previously, we helped 3,000 to 4,000 victims of Typhoon Carina in Metro Manila," he said. The SHFC is a major implementor of the Pambansang Pabahay para sa Pilipino Program (4PH) through vertical housing projects. In the past two decades, it has helped more than 470,000 families and distributed more than PHP35 billion worth of assistance. Laxa said they have 12 ongoing projects and some of the units would be awarded to the beneficiaries before Christmas. "Sa San Fernando, Pampanga kung saan ay tapos na 'yung isang building natin, tatlong building ay ihinahabol pa namin para maibigay natin agad dun sa ating mga kababayan (One of our buildings in San Fernando, Pampanga has been completed. We are working on three more so we can already award them to our fellowmen)," he said. Four of the 14 buildings in Davao City have also been completed and about 400 families will be awarded with their units before Christmas, he added. Source: Philippines News agency