Providing shelter for the entire country is definitely among the noblest missions any government can undertake. And very few accomplishments can be as gratifying as improving the lives of our countrymen by helping them acquire their own homes.

            As we’ve always said, this is not an ordinary mission, and the government housing sector and private development can only do this together, not separately. And while we’ve always been thankful for the constant support our private partners have given us, we know we need new solutions, we need to innovate.  We need to appreciate issues to better address them.  We need to recognize strengths and new ways of going things to capitalize on them.

            Lately, the Home Guaranty Corporation responded to these challenges with a very ingenuous and modern solution — the Bankers-Builders-Buyers program or the BBB program. The banks provide funding for the builders who build houses for the buyers. It is as simple as that. You bring them all together and you have a complete housing finance circle.

            And one simple feature of BBB is its online access, its website. Today, almost everything happens online. The internet is such a big part of our lives now.  We connect with friends online. We book flights, shop, advertise our products and services online. We look for what’s happening in any particular part of the globe, online.

            It is this fast-paced, virtual part of the world that the BBB program has tapped. And I am delighted that HGC stepped up and took advantage of the power of the internet.

            Apart from being in tune with the times, the BBB program is an eye-opener. As Manny Sanchez said, the BBB will take the mystery out of home ownership in the country. Many Filipinos don’t know the ways and means for acquiring their own home. In the housing preference and affordability survey commissioned by the HUDCC in 2009, majority of our kababayans go to only three institutions for their housing financing needs — Pag-IBIG, SSS and GSIS. Which is only right. Now they have a fourth choice, the BBB.

            We know that private funds are much needed, especially to fund the development of new housing projects, to boost housing production. And the BBB program stimulates the movement of housing funds.

            When an ordinary person logs in at the BBB website, he would get acquainted to the concept of housing finance — how it works and how he can benefit from it. By providing them knowledge, we empower them to make better choices. Indeed, the housing industry can use a market that is educated and well-informed.

            Through the BBB program, HGC will jumpstart housing finance and lending in the provinces and countryside. If we could help them achieve this, people will no longer leave their own towns. We will be decongesting overcrowded cities.

            We also dedicate the BBB program to our OFWs. As hardworking Filipinos, they deserve all benefits of their sacrifice, a comfortable dwelling included. We are happy to contribute to their enjoyment of the fruits of their labor.

            I have examined the BBB website and there, one will find the country’s major banks and developers showcasing their housing loan products and housing units.  It is not solely for homebuyers.  Developers themselves can find loan facilities that will help fund the development of their housing projects.

            There is an application with which you can verify accredited brokers who may assist you in buying your house. Valuable information and pointers are also available for first-time homebuyers. The BBB website, really, is a virtual place where the players of housing finance converge to make the production and selling of shelter faster and more effective than ever before.

            I looked at the BBB website from a buyer’s perspective and realized that its beauty lies in its accessibility. It gives you a variety of choices and immediately initiates transaction. A new couple from the province, a hardworking father in Hongkong, and even a janitor in the metro… wherever they may be, the BBB program can help them acquire their own home. With a few clicks, they can choose a house according to their budget and in a neighborhood of their preference.  When the BBB program grows, there will be something for everyone, and the BBB just points them to the right direction.

            We are blessed with an improving economy. More funds can now be allotted for housing development. In fact, condominiums can be seen rising everywhere in the metro. The real estate business in the Philippines is on the rise and the good news is, there is a market. The BBB program is an instrument that will bring together the producers, buyers, and financiers of housing.

            Our dream has always been for every Filipino family to acquire a home of their own, to uplift the lives of the homeless and grant them the basic right to shelter. And we have always said government and private sector can only do it together, not apart.

            Congratulations to home guaranty corporation for innovating on its role as mobilizer of private funds for housing. Congratulations also to all participant banks and developers for coming together in this groundbreaking program. Our dream for a better life for every Filipino has just become more reachable.

            “Sa ating pagtutulungan, gaganda ang buhay sa sariling bahay”.

            Mabuhay po tayong lahat at maraming salamat!