GSIS meets Public sector unions in Caraga; bares dev’t in programs & services

By Jennifer P. Gaitano

BUTUAN CITY, Aug. 20 (PIA) -- Several employees associations, organizations gathered recently at the Samping Avenue Hall of this city, together with Government Service Insurance System (GSIS) Butuan Branch Officials and Ms. Karina David, GSIS member of the Board of Trustees (BOT), for the conduct of Consultative Meeting with the Public Sector Unions in Caraga region.

In her message, GSIS Butuan Branch Manager Belen Talita, emphasized that continuous information dissemination brings GSIS closer to its members.

"The constant conduct of dialogue with our partner stakeholders give us the opportunity to improve our programs and services and strengthen our working relationship with them," Talita said.

David also bared that GSIS aims to regain the trust and confidence of partner stakeholders, pursue the social mission of the charter and promote an efficient organization that is fully-automated and member-focused.

“Letting you know on the updates and getting your feedbacks will surely help improve our programs and services. We will ensure as well that our members will get and enjoy the benefits they deserved,” David emphasized.

David also disclosed that the Enhanced GSIS Scholarship Program provides 200 Scholarship Slots for children of the GSIS members with Salary Grade 1-24. “Incoming freshmen are accepted in schools accredited by GSIS. With this program, GSIS gives up to P20,000 tuition and P2,000 monthly allowance,” she said.

It was also learned that among the initiatives of GSIS to provide responsive services to its members include the following: Deployment of more GWAPS Kiosks; New Emergency Loan Program (reduced interest rate from 8% to 6%; waived 1% service fee); No more Annual Renewal of Active Status for Pensioners (National Statistics Office to determine pensioners' status); and Revised Survivorship Policy (surviving spouses of members and pensioners can receive pension even if gainfully employed and receiving other income/pension).

As to the posting and reconciliation of the GSIS members' accounts, David explained that the GSIS has already formed a Reconcilement Task Force to improve the updating of accounts and will deploy electionic-Billing and electionic-Collection to its members.

With these developments, the GSIS hoped to increase the number of members registered and to add more benefits.

The GSIS is created by Commonwealth Act No. 186 that was passed on November 14, 1936, and later amended under Republic Act No. 8291 dated June 24, 1997. As designed in its charter, GSIS is a social insurance institution under a defined benefit scheme. It ensures its members against the occurrence of certain contingencies in exchange for their monthly premium contributions. (JPG/PIA-Caraga)