The family of the late Ma Theresa Cruz, the nurse in Cainta Municipal Hospital whose story went viral recently after she died of COVID-19, received her social insurance and additional benefits for public frontliners from the Government Service Insurance System (GSIS).
Aside from the regular GSIS life insurance and burial benefits that were processed four days after the claims were filed, her family received the Bayanihan Fund for Frontliners (BFF) benefit, the additional Php500,000 insurance coverage given by GSIS to COVID-19 frontliners who died while performing their duties. The family will also receive survivorship benefit after all the documentary requirements have been submitted.
“We condole with the family of Ms. Theresa Cruz and we salute her heroism. She risked her life so others may live,” GSIS President and General Manager Rolando Ledesma Macasaet said.
Theresa’s family received the full amount of her benefits as her loans were covered by a loan redemption insurance (LRI). Since she paid her loans promptly and regularly when she was still living, she qualified for LRI that deemed her loan fully paid after she died. Thus, her outstanding balance was not deducted from the proceeds of her benefits. An essential feature of all GSIS loan accounts for members with updated loan payments, LRI protects the financial security of the member-borrower’s family and pays off the loan when the borrower dies.
Theresa was survived by her husband, Jonathan and daughters Joie, Casey and Maxene.
“My mother has been looking forward to her retirement, sayang lang at hindi na niya naabutan. Natulungan naman kami ng GSIS dahil lagi silang tumatawag sa amin tungkol sa benefits ni mama. Ang benepisyong natanggap namin sa GSIS ay gagamitin namin sa pag-aaral ng aming bunsong kapatid at pagtatayo ng isang foundation para sa mga health workers para mabigyang-proteksyon ang kanilang mga sakripisyo katulad ng nanay namin, “ said Casey Cruz, the deceased’s second daughter.
