As of April 30, the Government Service Insurance System has released a total of P4.1 billion in loans to some 60,000 government workers and pensioners nationwide. This was reported on Monday by Rolando Ledesma Macasaet, President and General Manager of the state pension fund.
While most parts of the country are still in Enhanced Community Quarantine, GSIS was able to disburse Php3.48 billion in various loans (Conso-Loan, Policy Loan and Pension Loan) to a total of 25,198 GSIS members and pensioners nationwide between the period March 27 and April 30.
In addition to these regular loan programs, the state pension fund opened the COVID-19 Emergency Loan program to its 2.1 million members and pensioners last April 13.
“I am very proud to say that in just 17 days, from April 13 to April 30, GSIS has granted Php664 million in emergency loan to some 33,000 borrowers nationwide,” Macasaet stated.
Earlier this month, this loan program was enhanced to make it more responsive to the needs of GSIS members and pensioners.
“I would like to thank our Board of Trustees, headed by former Chief Justice Lucas Bersamin, for the swift approval of the COVID-19 Enhanced Emergency Loan program which relaxed the loan eligibility rules,” Macasaet added.
“Under the enhanced program, we now allow members who have in-default loan accounts (with arrears of more than six months) to renew their emergency loan. We have also reduced the paid premium requirement from six months to only three months,” he explained.
“However, since this is the first time for GSIS to offer the emergency loan on a national scale, there may be some delays due to systems maintenance activities. I am grateful for the patience and understanding of our stakeholders during this time ,” he stated.
Considering that systems enhancements are still in progress, members and pensioners whose emergency loan were renewed and granted from 13 to 30 April 2020 may renew their loans starting 11 May 2020.
To avail of the Enhanced COVID-19 Emergency Loan, GSIS members and pensioners must email only two requirements to GSIS: duly-accomplished emergency loan application form which is downloadable from the GSIS website (https://www.gsis.gov.ph/downloadable-forms); and photo of the borrower holding their GSIS Unified Multi-Purpose Identification (UMID) card or temporary eCard. If their UMID or eCard has been lost, the photo of the borrower holding his or her two valid IDs and a clear photo of the two valid IDs must be submitted.
The application form and requirements must be sent to the designated email address according to the members’ place of work or pensioners’ residence: [email protected] (for borrowers in NCR including Quezon City and Cavite); [email protected] (North Luzon); [email protected] (SouthLuzon); [email protected] (Visayas) or [email protected] (Mindanao).
Members may also apply for emergency loan through the GSIS Wireless Automated Processing System (GWAPS) kiosks located in all GSIS branches, DepEd offices, provincial capitols, city or municipal halls, and selected SM and Robinsons malls nationwide. Pensioners may only apply via email.
Once the loan is approved, the proceeds will be directly credited to the Unified Multi-Purpose Identification (UMID) card or temporary eCard account of the borrower.
Interested borrowers who have inquiries on the loan program may visit the GSIS website, www.gsis.gov.ph or GSIS Facebook page, @gsis.ph; email [email protected]; or call the GSIS Contact Center at 8847-4747 (if in Metro Manila) or 1-800-8-847-4747 (for Globe and TM subscribers) and 1-800-10-847-4747 (for Smart, Sun, and Talk ‘N Text subscribers).