RDC endorses proposed GSIS separate scheme for pensioners

The Regional Development Council in Central Visayas passed a resolution endorsing the proposal for the Government Service Insurance System to develop a separate workable scheme for GSIS pensioners.

The Department of Social Welfare and Development had raised that among the issues and concerns being addressed by the Regional Inter-Agency Committee for Older Persons, these include the numerous complaints from GSIS pensioners.

The related complaints included the following — lack of express lane for senior citizens, lack of GSIS staff that could provide clear and accurate instructions to senior citizens in accomplishing documents/forms, and delays in granting GSIS pensions since pensioners need to comply with the new system and procedures.

Aside from these, the other complaints raised were the appearance of non-ambulant pensioners at the GSIS office to either inquire or submit documents, report to activate their electronic cards, designation of banks that have limited branches in rural areas, thus affecting their regular availment of pension, and inavailability of pension funds in the designated banks for the timely availment of pensioners.

DSWD had already written GSIS-Cebu requesting appropriate action on these concerns and the GSIS informed DSWD that four staff members were already assigned to attend to the concerns of senior citizens at the GSIS office. The GSIS is also extending services to non-ambulant pensioners by sending their staff to visit them to verify their conditions.

The Social Development Committee of the RDC noted that the measures already instituted by GSIS could be improved further by implementing other schemes that would consider the different needs of ambulant and non-ambulant pensioners.

The said committee proposed the following for consideration of the GSIS — development of separate and specific pension availment scheme for ambulant and non-ambulant pensioners, review of the Electronic-Voice Activated Protocol implementation for senior citizens, review of the implementation of the e-card system/procedure for senior citizens to consider those residing in far-flung barangays and setting up of satellite offices to provide services to senior citizens. — Mitchelle L. Palaubsanon/MEEV