State pension fund Government Service Insurance System (GSIS) is urging pensioners to do their transactions online, such as compliance with the online Annual Pensioners Information Revalidation (APIR) and loan applications to protect them from Covid-19 infection.
“Since last year, we have put in place online methods of transacting with us so that our pensioners need not leave their homes and do it any time, any day,” GSIS President and General Manager Rolando Ledesma Macasaet announced.
The Inter-Agency Task Force for the Management of Emerging Infectious Diseases (IATF-EID) also issued Resolution No. 100 directing “pension-issuing agencies to adopt alternative modes of validation for senior citizen pensioners in lieu of personal appearances or submission of documents” starting March 1 especially with the various Covid-19 variants’ entry into the country.
GSIS pensioners must renew their active status by complying with APIR on their birth month to ensure the continuous receipt of their pension and if applicable, the grant of milestone benefits and their availment of the Enhanced Pension Loan. Through APIR, only qualified pensioners are paid the monthly pension, safeguarding the viability of the fund in the process.
“Send a text or e-mail request to your GSIS handling branch for the online APIR schedule if you’re in the Philippines. Those who are abroad may send their request to [email protected] or to the GSIS Skype Appointment System found on the GSIS web site,” said Macasaet in lieu of personally going to any GSIS office or using the GSIS Wireless Automated Processing System kiosk.
Those who were previously being home-visited yearly due to advanced age (80 years old and above), sickness, disability, or other health issues affecting their mobility must now request their online APIR schedule through e-mail or text to eliminate the risk for both GSIS pensioners and employees.
Pensioners or their representatives must indicate in the text or e-mail request the pensioner’s name, birthday, preferred online channel for the APIR interview (if Facebook messenger, Viber, Skype or Zoom).
The following requirements must also be e-mailed: 1.Photo of their UMID, temporary eCard Plus or in its absence at least two valid government issued IDs (original to be presented during the interview); 2. If a survivorship pensioner, duly accomplished Self-Declaration of Surviving Spouse Form (on Non-Marriage/Non-Cohabitation; download form from GSIS web site, www.gsis.gov.ph); 3. If a disability pensioner, a copy of the annual Medical Progress Report.
GSIS pensioners may also apply for the Enhanced Pension Loan and Pensioners’ Emergency Loan online via the eGSISMO (online facility found in GSIS’s web site) or e-mail to their handling branch.
To view the full list of designated e-mail addresses and mobile numbers of all GSIS branches and extension offices nationwide, visit https://www.gsis.gov.ph/downloads/20210120-APIR_Mobile_Numbers.pdf.
For inquiries, visit the GSIS website, www.gsis.gov.ph or GSIS Facebook page, @gsis.ph; e-mail [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.