News Digest: UAE firm helps OFWs save for housing

In a March 20 report by Mariecar Jara-Puyod of Gulf Today in the UAE

SHARJAH, UNITED ARAB EMIRATES–A COMPANY here that emplyes a sizeable number of Filipinos will deduct the Filipinos’ salaries so that they can contribute montly to the Philippines’s Home Development Mutual Fund.

This approach of the UAE company seems to be “a first in the world,” This approach of the UAE company seems to be “a first in the world,” with management being impressed that these contributions can enable the Filipino workers to avail of housing loans.

HDMF’s representative to the northern Emirates Juanito Jareno, Jr. (in a Gulf Today report) said that he hopes other UAE employers will follow suit and emulate such arrangement with Filipino workers’ salaries.

Jareno added this gesture by the UAE company will also assure that the monthly contributions of the workers to HDMF (known in the Philippines as the Pag-IBIG Fund) are “safe and secured.”