Pag-IBIG Dumaguete campaigns for membership

CEBU, Philippines – PAG-IBIG Dumaguete Branch is vigorously campaigning for membership in Negros Oriental following reports of hundreds if not thousands of employers don’t have coverage of the Home Development Mutual Fund.

Out of the more than 30,000 employers in Negros Oriental, only 1,600 private employers are paying  the counterpart amount for their workers, according to statistics released by the PAG-IBIG Dumaguete branch.

Julio Carmelo Alfarero, PAG-IBIG Dumaguete branch manager, disclosed that based on the business permits, licensing office of different local government units,  there are about 30,000 employers in the province but this number includes the small sari-sari stores being manned by their relatives who are left at home.

Alfarero stressed the need for actual visitation of employers who have the tendency to do away with the mandatory requirement of the law, urging concerned employees and workers themselves to report  non-compliant companies  to his office so proper action can be instituted.

“If you know of any company that has no Pag-IBIG membership, text or report to our local branch because every worker must be accorded with the same statutory deductions,”  he pointed out.

From January to October this year, PAG-IBIG Dumaguete branch reported a 98 percent accomplishment in its collection efforts with P138.2 million out of the target collection of P139.4 million from its more than 61,000 members from Siquijor and Negros Oriental.

Total membership for the South Central Visayas grouping, of which  PAG-IBIG Dumaguete branch belongs, is 483,810.

Likewise, PAG-IBIG Dumaguete branch has generated 9,516 multi-purpose loans from the target of 10,957  because others went to financial and lending institutions.

Meanwhile, PAG-IBIG’s loyalty card is gaining ground in Negros Oriental with 10,899 pictures captured so far.

Alfarero explained the loyalty card extends more benefits to its members in terms of discounts for items bought from partner-establishments to include pharmacies or medicines, schools, gasoline stations, derm house, salons, optical clinics, grill house with savings of 5 to 50 percent on medicines, and 15 percent on tuition fees.

PAG-IBIG members are encouraged to apply for a Pag-IBIG loyalty card by simply filling up the loyalty card application form every Monday at the local Pag-IBIG branch in Dumaguete, for a very minimal amount.

The Loyalty Card features include the photograph of the member including his/her Pag-IBIG identification number that can already be used in transacting with Pag-IBIG, in the absence of an official Pag-IBIG identification card, although this is still not among the valid IDs being honored by government, Alfarero pointed out.

Separately, there is no movement yet with regard to the creation of the Negros Island Region, as far as Pag-IBIG is concerned.

Victoria dela Peña, member services operations Vice President for Visayas and Mindanao was asked in Dumaguete this week if the creation of the NIR has effects on the operation of the HDMF.

She was quoted by Alfarero as saying there is no information yet whether Pag-IBIG Dumaguete will be under Bacolod  together with Sagay and Kabankalan because the present set up is for the creation of more branches  as many as possible.

At present, the Dumaguete branch is under South Central Visayas with branches in Ayala, Colon, Talisay, Cebu anf Toledo City  forthcoming. —/JMD (FREEMAN)