The GSIS Head Office in Pasay City has secured the Safety Seal Certification from the Department of the Interior and Local Government to assure the public that standard public health and safety protocols are being observed to protect clients from COVID-19.
GSIS’s application was based on the Joint Memorandum Circular No.21-01 on the Implementing Guidelines of the Safety Seal Certification Program issued by the Department of Labor and Employment, Department of Health, Department of the Interior and Local Government, Department of Tourism, and Department of Trade and Industry.
“We support the national government in reopening the economy safely. GSIS voluntarily applied for the certification so that our members and pensioners will feel safe transacting in our office. These measures have actually been in place since we reopened to the public after quarantine restrictions were eased in 2020,” GSIS President and General Manager Rolando Ledesma Macasaet said.
GSIS provided hand washing stations with soap, sanitizers, and tissues near the entrance of the building. GSIS adopted StaySafe.ph, a contact tracing mobile app, since February 2021 to minimize using the fillable health declaration forms by clients and employees. Their body temperatures are obtained using a thermal scanner. A computer system, which automatically counts people inside the building, was also installed to monitor compliance with IATF’s capacity requirements.
To guide them on social distancing, physical barriers are placed in client counters and cafeteria as well as markers in elevators and corridors.
GSIS personnel and security guards remind clients and employees to wear their masks properly and observe other safety protocols while inside the premises.
Windows and doors of closed spaces are opened regularly to ensure air circulation. Cleaning and disinfection are conducted twice every day.
Isolation tents are available for employees and clients with COVID-19 symptoms.
GSIS’s Medical and Wellness Services Department takes the lead in providing medical and psychosocial support to employees, contract tracing, and monitoring of cases.
Coordinations are made with barangay health and emergency response teams (BHERTs) and medical institutions for referrals.
BHERTs and other COVID-19 Emergency hotlines are posted in conspicuous areas.
GSIS has garbage bins on every floor for the disposal of face masks and infectious wastes. The contents of which are stored in a garbage house outside of GSIS until it is collected by GSIS’s service provider.
The seal is valid for six (6) months until 17 September 2022 and renewable subject to continued compliance with the eligibility requirements.
Prior to the certification, GSIS was recognized as Gold Winner for Most Valuable Government Response to the COVID-19 Pandemic by the Stevie Awards on 8 December 2020.
