GSIS holds dialogue on systems problem

CEBU, Philippines - The Government Service Insurance System (GSIS) continues to reach out to its members across the country through a series of dialogues on the impact of the systems crash that had occurred five months ago.

 The problem, blamed on the flawed software database installed by IBM, caused delays in the agency’s processing of claims and loans.

For three straight weekends, GSIS executives and staff traveled to Tuguegarao, Cebu, Cagayan de Oro City, Butuan City, General Santos City, Laoag, Naga, Davao City, Iloilo, Dagupan City, Palawan, Pampanga, Batangas, Zamboanga City and Tacloban for a series of dialogues with members of these areas.

The talks informed members about the defective IBM-DB2 database management software which primarily caused the database crash.

“GSIS has suffered at least eight database crashes to date and at least P5 billion in actual damages as a result. The database crash was first experienced on March 30, 2009,” a GSIS statement said.

The crash adversely affected about 90 percent of GSIS’ operations, which caused delays to the processing of thousands of loans and claims as well as updating of GSIS membership records. The GSIS Wireless Automated Processing System kiosks also go offline whenever a system crash occurs.

GSIS, however, assured that the membership data has not been compromised and no data has been lost because “records have been preserved and kept in perpetual storage.”

“The pension fund had already filed a civil case against IBM Corp., IBM Philippines and IBM business partner Questronix Corp. last June 3 for P100 million in damages,” the statement said.

During the dialogues, GSIS updated the members of its new programs like the Housing Loan Program, which offers a flat interest rate of eight percent, and the Housing Loan Restructuring and Condonation Program, in which all penalties and surcharges from previous housing loans will be disregarded.

The latest program is the GSIS-Pfizer partnership, which makes members and pensioners eligible to use their eCard Plus to avail themselves of as much as 50 percent discount on selected Pfizer medicine in major drugstores nationwide. — Jessica Ann R. Pareja/LPM   (THE FREEMAN)