GSIS explains: Some members can’t avail themselves of ‘Pablo’ loans

BACOLOD CITY, Philippines — Some members of the Government Service Insurance System (GSIS) cannot qualify for the emergency loans granted to victims of typhoon Pablo because of a requirement in their net pay.

GSIS chairman Daniel Lacson Jr. explained that the law puts a cap on the borrowings of government employees to make sure their take home pay (net pay) every month would not be less than P5,000.

In early December, GSIS announced that it was granting an emergency loan of P20,000, payable in three years, to each of its more than 345,000 GSIS members in Visayas and Mindanao who were adversely affected by Pablo.

Lacson made this explanation at a dialog with officers of the Alliance of Concerned Teachers (ACT) in Bacolod recently.

He said the General Appropriations Act of 2012 stipulates that government employees must have a net pay of at least P5,000 every month after all the deductions for their dues to various funds and loans,

“Let us look at the bigger picture. All the government wants is to ensure that you bring something home on pay day,” Lacson told the GSIS members.

Lacson said that, while the GSIS and the government want to give the people what they need, there is also a need to temper this with other realities. He assured the members though that GSIS continues to strive for transparency and responsiveness to their needs. (FREEMAN)