LINGAYEN, PANGASINAN — Gov. Ramon Guico 3rd has asked the officers of the Provincial Government Employees’ Multi-Purpose Cooperative of Pangasinan (PGEMPCOP) to consider offering a housing loan in its loan packages to enable its members to have their own houses.
“I think you should study offering this loan package because we will soon have a housing program for our employees. I think many of you want to have their own houses,” said Governor Guico after he swore into office the new set of PGEMPCOP officers at the Urduja House last Monday.
Janette Asis, provincial human resource management and development officer and PGEMPCOP general manager, said that at present, the cooperative only offers salary and other short-term loans.
Asis said that the cooperative’s grew from a measly P400,000 to P26 million in the last eight years, and from more 300 members, the cooperative now has 1,400 members consisting of regular employees, casuals, consultants, and job order workers of the provincial government.
“I encountered some of our job order workers, who have been here for 15 years, 20 years. I asked where they lived and they said they were informal settlers somewhere. So, that is I think what we need to provide,” said Governor Guico.
At present, he said, the province needs 17,000 thousand houses a year.
This is one of the reasons, Governor Guico said, why he had asked the conversion of the Provincial Housing and Urban Development Coordinating Center into a housing authority that will map out and build more houses for Pangasinenses.
“Anyway, what I’m only asking is for you to have a commitment to your work. I’m very considerate but when it comes to work, we have to be serious,” Governor Guico said.
“I have never worked so hard as I am doing right now,” he added.
Governor Guico said that the cooperative should also focus on gaining more members to increase its present membership.
“We have 6,000 employees (in the provincial government). So, I think that you should have a more active campaign to entice them to join this cooperative,” Governor Guico said.
“So that should be your objective: To gain more members. Show them the benefits. But I hope you will attach this cooperative to housing eventually. I think you have enough funds for those who seriously want to acquire a house of their own,” he added.
(PangasinanPIO)
