DHSUD Secretary Jose Rizalino Acuzar

The OFW party-list and the Department of Human Settlements and Urban Development (DHSUD) have joined hands in establishing a housing program for overseas Filipino workers (OFWs).

OFW Rep. Marissa Magsino and DHSUD Secretary Jose Rizalino Acuzar on Sunday signed the memorandum of agreement (MoA) for the Pambansang Pabahay Program para sa mga OFWs.

The MoA includes the allocation of housing units in the department’s housing projects to OFWs, returnees and family members.

The DHSUD will provide the details of housing projects that are in the pipeline, and the party-list can match them with OFWs who want to be beneficiaries.

The department will manage the assessment and prequalification of validated and endorsed beneficiaries.

Magsino said that before she became a legislator, she was involved in the housing industry as head of the National Real Estate Association.

“Thus, there is a strong bond that ties up two of my primary advocacies: that of providing decent and affordable housing to our people, and that of the aspiration of our OFWs to realize their long-cherished dream of acquiring their own homes for their families, upon their return and retirement,” she said.

“That is why I consider our Pambansang Pabahay Program para sa mga OFWs with DHSUD a major accomplishment in my first term as representative of the OFW party-list,” she said.