GSIS PUBLIC ADVISORY (17 March 2020)

Pursuant to Republic Act No. 11332, Presidential Proclamation Nos. 929 and 922 (series 2020), and Civil Service Commission (CSC) Announcement No. 13, s. 2020 directing government agencies to adopt measures to contain the spread of the COVID-19 virus, the Management of the Government Service Insurance System (GSIS) is hereby implementing the following measures in order to ensure the safety of its members, pensioners and employees:

1. The GSIS Head Office, Quezon City Branch Office (QCBO) and all GSIS branch/extension offices located in Luzon shall be closed to the public from 16 March 2020 to 12 April 2020.

All senior executives, department heads and branch managers in the aforementioned areas are instructed to implement “work-from-home” and/or rotational duty assignments (skeleton workforce) for their respective personnel at their own discretion, in line with the GSIS Business Continuity Plan (BCP) and the guidelines set by the CSC on alternative working arrangements.

Despite the lockdown, GSIS shall continue to accept loan applications via GWAPS. Pension payments shall likewise be credited to old-age and survivorship pensioners during the first week of the month, as usual.

Effective 17 March 2020, however, the following GSIS operations shall be temporarily suspended (applicable only to NCR and Luzon):

• Filing and processing of retirement/separation benefit claims;
• Filing and processing of non-life insurance claims. For renewal of property insurance policies requested on or before 17 March 2020, a cover note will be issued for a period of 60 days to provide continuity of cover;
• • Filing and processing of GSIS Financial Assistance Loan (GFAL) applications nationwide is suspended for two (2) months starting 14 March 2020. Consequently, GFAL program will be extended to 30 September 2020;

   

  • Processing of requests for renewal of active status (APIR) of pensioners residing locally and abroad;

   

  • Enrollment of members and releasing of GSIS UMID eCards;

   

  • A one-month extension is hereby granted on all premium remittances and loan payments due this March. Premium remittances and loan payments due on March and April may be settled on or before 10 May 2020, without penalty; and

   

  • A one-month extension is also granted on all housing loan amortization payments and rental payments for GSIS investment properties falling due on March 2020. Rental and amortization payments due for the months of March and April 2020 may be settled on or before 10 May 2020, without penalty; and

   

  • All other GSIS programs and corporate events scheduled for the said period, such as the Women’s Month Celebration, GSIS Educational Subsidy Program (GESP) and GSIS Scholarship Program (GSP), GSIS Art Competition, financial literacy seminars and the like, are likewise suspended.

   

  2. Unless a state of emergency is declared by the local government wherein a GSIS branch is located and/or unless certain employee/s have close physical contact with a CoViD-19 positive person or are showing symptoms of COViD-19, all GSIS personnel in the Visayas and Mindanao (VisMin) shall continue to report for work to provide pension and loan services to members and pensioners in the area.

  At their own discretion, branch managers may adopt work-from-home and/or rotational duty arrangements, subject to the approval of the SVP-VisMin and EVP-Core Business Sector.