The Government Service Insurance System (GSIS) assured its thousands of pensioners in the province that it will no longer allow delays in the release of pension checks after the public aired its mounting criticism against said government agency.

GSIS Vice Pres. Ella Vallencerina said its central offices noted the complaints of the Boholanos which was highlighted in the banner story of the Chronicle last month. She brought the agency's executives to explain the reason why pension checks were delayed during the past months.

The pensioners in the province, especially the elderly, complained why they were asked to personally claim their checks while the mailing system bogged down due to the reported shortage of mailing funds.

GSIS officials denied the lack of funds citing that the delayed mailing was due to the reprogramming of funds.

Vallencerina met the local media last Friday together with Edgar Eduardo, Vis-Min VP for field operations, GSIS-Bohol branch manager Douglas Marigomen and Atty Mercedes Enrique, legal officer.

Eduardo stressed that of 21 branches in the Visayas and Mindanao, deficiency of funds has never been an issue and that what happened here in Bohol last month is an isolated case.

Vallencerina explained that the local branch even have savings but had delays with adjustments made during its reprogramming of funds.

However, the local branch have met with the deadline set by the national office to undertake the reprogramming.

Enriquez said that Boholano pensioners are used to receiving their checks early, if not on time, and the delay have caused alarm especially when local postmen wrongly informed them that GSIS will no longer mail their checks.

He added that pension checks usually come a week before its due month.

Eduardo explained that they have established distribution centers strategically located in selected towns as part of cleansing their pensioners database.

They will be adopting this system until end of December this year.

He said that the mailing system had cost the agency big losses since it is highly vulnerable to pilferage especially when a pensioner dies and some of the surviving relatives continue to collect the checks.

He added that they require all their pensioners to report in their local offices every year as a mechanism to verify if the pensioner properly receives pension checks. They are also issued renewal of their identification cards yearly.

Another setback occurs when an old-age pensioner change residence without informing the local office of their new address.

Eduardo also noted that they have allowed mailing of checks in certain conditions after requests are made by physically disabled, bedridden or seriously ill pensioners.

As a general rule, special power of attorneys (SPA) are only granted to pensioners living in foreign countries provided that these are certified by the Philippine consulate of that particular state.

The GSIS would also mail checks especially in far-flung municipalities where there are only a few pensioners and it would be more practical sending checks through mail.

Eduardo clarified that they are "just making it fair for the living pensioners against some spurious ones" who try to take advantage of the mailing system by claiming checks of long-dead pensioners.

GSIS president and general manager Winston Garcia have ordered local branches to visit pensioners who are above 90-years old every month together with a doctor and ask for a certification from the barangay captain attesting that he knows the person (pensioner).

E-CARD SYSTEM

During the press conference the officials were informed that the E-card system is very impractical to many Boholano pensioners since most of the automated teller machines (ATM) are here in Tagbilaran City.

Vallencerina assured that they will elevate the matter to top management and that the purpose of the e-card, which is to provide efficient service "anytime, anywhere", is not viable here in the province.

GSIS KIOSKS

According to Eduardo, GSIS will set up over 6,000 "GSIS Kiosks" starting next year. The kiosks, equipped with biometric scanners, will serve as a one-stop transaction center.

The kiosks will be stationed in major government offices all over the country. With its operation, paper transactions will be lessened.

The project will initially be launched in Camiguin and Batanes.