Tenth Congress
Republic Act No. 8501 February 13, 1998
AN ACT TO RESCUE THE NATIONAL SHELTER PROGRAM OF THE GOVERNMENT BY CONDONING THE PENALTIES ON ALL OUTSTANDING/DELINQUENT HOUSING LOAN ACCOUNTS WITH ANY OF THE GOVERNMENT INSTITUTIONS AND AGENCIES INVOLVED IN THE NATIONAL SHELTER PROGRAM AND BY AMENDING PRESIDENTIAL DECREE NO. 1752, AS AMENDED
Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the Philippines in Congress assembled:
Section 1. Short title
This Act shall be known as the "Housing Loan Condonation Act of 1998."
Section 2. Condonation clause
Section 3. Amendatory clause
To ensure the continuity of this Act, the Home Development Mutual Fund (Pag-ibig Fund) which is a major financing institution of the National Shelter Program is hereby granted the power to condone. Sec. 12 of Presidential Decree No. 1752, as amended by Republic Act No. 7742, is hereby further amended to read as follows:
SEC. 12. Powers of the Board. - The Board shall have the following powers:
"(a) To formulate policies, rules and regulations to carry out effectively the functions of the Fund under this Act;
"(b) To direct the operations and administration of the Fund;
"(c) To authorize expenditures of the Fund in the interest of effective administration and operations, to adopt from time to time the budgets for said purposes;
"(d) To condone, in whole or in part, penalties imposed on loans of members-borrowers of the fund who for justifiable reasons, failed to pay on time any obligation due to the Fund subject to the following requirements or conditions:
"(1) That a member-borrower may apply only once for the condonation of penalties on the entire loan amount.
"(2) That the loan amount must have been on arrears for a period of at least two (2) years.
"(3) That the annual total family income shall not be more than Three Hundred Thousand pesos (P300,000.00).
"Such exclusive power to condone shall likewise apply to penalties imposed on employers who justifiably fail to remit when due the required contributions of their employees;
"(e) To approve appointments of personnel; and
"(f) To exercise such powers as may be necessary to carry into effect the powers and accomplish the purposes for which the Fund is established."
Section 4. Applicability on delinquent accounts due to defective housing units
This Act shall likewise apply to borrowers who failed or refused to pay their monthly amortizations due to structurally defective or substandard housing units and/or subdivisions lacking in basic amenities such as water, light, drainage, good roads and others and as required by law.
Section 5. Implementing rules and regulations
All government institutions and agencies involved in the national shelter program, including but not limited to those mentioned in Sec. 2, are hereby required to promulgate the implementing rules and regulations within sixty (60) days after the effectivity of this Act.
Section 6. Repealing clause
All laws, executive orders, rules or regulations, or any part thereof, inconsistent with any provision of this Act are hereby repealed or modified accordingly.
Section 7. Effectivity clause
This Act shall take effect fifteen (15) days after its complete publication in the Official Gazette or in at least two (2) national newspapers of general circulation.
Approved: February 13, 1998
For information and research only, and not legal advice. This text may not reflect later amendments. For certified copies, refer to the Official Gazette or the issuing agency.