GSIS eyes members’ bill of rights

MANILA, Philippines - The Government Service Insurance System (GSIS) is seeking the establishment of a member’s bill of rights and the removal of stringent provisions that have prevented pensioners from enjoying the survivorship benefit.

These are among the changes being pushed by the GSIS, the country’s largest pension fund, in its charter as part of efforts to develop a sound social security system responsive to the needs of its workers.

GSIS president and general manager Robert Vergara said the agency seeks to provide greater representation for members at the highest policy-making level and insulate the social insurance fund from dissipation due to the volatility of the global economy.

Vergara said the GSIS also wants to ensure that its top-level officials are held accountable for mismanagement and inefficiencies in the delivery of services to members.

Under the proposed bill of rights, members will be represented on the board of GSIS and allowed to participate in meaningful exchange of views, dialogues and fora conducted by the agency without fear of reprisal.

Members shall likewise be consulted on the policies and programs to be implemented by the system.

The agency is also seeking the removal of remarriage and cohabitation as basis for cancellation of survivorship benefits.

Aside from this, the GSIS is proposing no prescription period for claims to protect the welfare of employees in the public sector.

Other proposals include increasing the funeral benefit from P20,000 to P30,000 and allowing single members to designate a beneficiary before age 50. The designated beneficiary must be related to the single member within the third degree of consanguinity and the designation can only be made once.

Beneficiaries are defined as the legitimate spouse, legitimate child who is over the age of majority but is considered a person with disability and incapable of self-support acquired prior to the age of majority. For unmarried, their beneficiary is the legitimate legally adopted child.

However, the parents and the designated beneficiary will no longer be considered beneficiaries once the member marries and/or begets a child.

To further address the needs of its members, the GSIS shall launch a call center in the second quarter this year as well as an online self-service facility.

The agency intends to establish 20 service desks in provincial and municipal government offices to bring its services closer to stakeholders.