KORONADAL CITY, South Cotabato (PIA) -- The value of owning a house has become more prominent with the coronavirus disease pandemic, an official of the Department of Human Settlements and Urban Development (DHSUD) 12 said. 

Jennifer Bretaña, regional director of DHSUD 12, speaking about the existing gap of 6.5 million housing units in the country, said the need for shelter has become more pronounced during the pandemic. 

"There is a housing gap  and we feel more of this housing crisis this time. We realized the importance of a house, of a home, especially during the pandemic, with the COVID-19 pandemic," Director Bretaña said during the opening ceremonies of the 2nd SOX Housing Fair at Veranza Mall in General Santos City on Saturday, October 22. 

Houses, she pointed out, have served several purposes at the height of the COVID-19 pandemic. 

"We quarantine in our houses. In our houses we are safe. Our houses or homes are the classrooms of our children.

 "The house serves as our workspace because of work-from-home scheme. The house also serves as the recreational space of families," she elaborated. 

The chief of the region's shelter agency noted further that the realization of the importance of housing led to an increased collection of the Home Development Mutual Fund (PagIBIG), despite the pandemic. 

"For the first time, in 2020 -- during the height of the pandemic--[PagIBIG] recorded the highest collection efficiency rate," she said. 

This, she explained, is because families, who realized the importance of a house, paid their amortization in advance, out of the funds saved while families are confined in their shelters. 

From October 22 to 24, sixteen housing developers with housing projects in different areas of SOCCSKSARGEN were gathered at the Veranza Mall for the 2nd SOX Housing Fair to serve those who are scouting for their dream houses, according to their affordability and preferences. 

DHSUD's key shelter agencies --  Social Housing and Finance Corporation (SHFC), Home Development Mutual Fund (Pag-IBIG), National Housing Authority (NHA), Human Settlements Adjudication Commission (HSAC), and National Home Mortgage Finance Corporation (NHMFC) -- also installed booths to serve their respective clients. (PIA XII)