The Government Service Insurance System (GSIS) has opened its online application as an alternative method of filing for about 4,000 retirees and survivorship pensioners who have not submitted their application for the start of their pensions.
State pension fund president and general manager Rolando Ledesma Macasaet said that applications may be submitted through their electronic mail to minimize the risk of exposure to coronavirus disease (COVID-19).
“This is meant to minimize their risk of exposure to the COVID-19 virus. They can now do it in the comfort of their own homes,” Macasaet said.
Macasaet mentioned that the online filing of applications for pension is one of the strategic ways adopted by GSIS to adjust its existing operational processes under the new normal.
Retirees under Presidential Decree 1146 (Revised GSIS Act of 1977), Republic Act 8291 (GSIS Act of 1997), and Republic Act 7699 (Portability Law), who will start receiving their monthly pension between January and July 2020, will benefit from this new system.
Surviving spouses or guardians of the children of deceased GSIS retirees, members, or pensioners are also covered by the online filing of pension.
”Applicants for pension commencement only need to email three documents to GSIS: accomplished application form; photo of their Unified Multi-Purpose ID (UMID) or eCard, or, in the absence of both, two valid IDs; and copy of their retirement vouchers. Surviving spouses, however, need to send an email of self-declaration that they have not remarried or cohabited with another person or cohabited since the death of their spouse. The form is downloadable in our website, www.gsis.gov.ph ,” he added.
Documents must be emailed to the designated email address of the handling GSIS office or branch not earlier than one month before the start of the pension.
After receiving the documents, GSIS will schedule a video interview with the pensioner who will be informed of the details of the interview through email, SMS message, or telephone.
Macasaet said that the pensioners may choose the videoconferencing mode they prefer for the interview such as through Viber, Facebook, Messenger, or Skype. The interview is needed to validate certain matters regarding the pension application.