Aquino leads commemoration of Government Service
Insurance System's 75th Founding Anniversary
President Benigno S. Aquino III led the
commemoration of the Government Service Insurance System’s 75th Founding
Anniversary in ceremonies held at the agency’s head office in Pasay City on
Monday.
The President, who was accompanied by House
Speaker Feliciano Belmonte, Jr. and Finance Secretary Cesar Purisima joined
GSIS officials and employees led by its president and general manager Robert
Vergara in celebrating the country’s largest government financial institution’s
diamond year.
In his speech, the President lauded the GSIS for
the remarkable steps it has taken in the course of its existence to ensure
government workers of aid when most needed.
“Pitumpu’t limang taon na po ang nakaraan,
itinatag ang Government Service Insurance System tangan ang malinaw na mandato
na maging takbuhan ng mga lingkod-bayan sa oras ng pangangailangan, protektahan
ang kanilang karapatan para sa marangal na pamumuhay, at maglatag ng mga
pagkakataon para umasenso,” the President said.
“Sa pagkakaloob ng mga pensyon, loans at
insurance, at iba pang benepisyo, inaasahan ang GSIS na maging sandigan ng mga
kawani nating nag-aalay ng pagod, panahon at sakripisyo sa paglilingkod-bayan,”
he added.
Created by Commonwealth Act No. 186 passed on
November 14, 1936, the GSIS is mandated to provide and administer the following
social security benefits for government employees: compulsory life insurance,
optional life insurance, retirement benefits, disability benefits for
work-related contingencies and death benefits.
In addition, the GSIS is entrusted with the
administration of the General Insurance Fund by virtue of RA 656 of the
Property Insurance Law. It provides insurance coverage to assets and properties
that have government insurable interests.
In less than two years under his administration,
the President said that reforms implemented to improve the delivery of service
in the agency has begun to pay.
He said that under the guidance of Vergara and
chairman Daniel Lacson, Jr., the GSIS has been able to pull its act together
and expand its services and provide benefits to its 1.7-million government
worker base.
“Kaya naman nang manungkulan tayo, pinatibay po
natin ang tunay na mandato ng GSIS. Itinaguyod natin ang mga reporma upang
siguruhing nagsisilbi kayong instrumento ng makabuluhang serbisyo-publiko.
Ibinalik natin ang tutok nito sa pagkalinga sa mga empleyadong marapat lamang
suklian ang paninilbihan sa taumbayan,” the President said.
Now, the President pointed out, ageing members
need not go to the GSIS head office to renew their status, while coordination
with the National Statistics Office and the Local Civil Registry has cleansed
the pension fund’s records of inactive members revealed information on the true
state of its members and pensioners.
The President also mentioned the existence of
the GSIS’s Wireless Automated Processing System Kiosks that allows members and
pensioners to transact with GSIS without having to leave their area and recent
tie-ups with the Land Bank of the Philippines and Union Bank of the Philippines
that allow the dispensing of any members pension through the use of said banks
automated teller machines.
“Bukod pa rito, mas marami na po ang
makakatanggap ng survivorship benefit, dahil sumasaklaw na rin ito kahit sa mga
asawa ng pumanaw na miyembro na may trabaho, o sa mga miyembrong nakakukuha din
ng pensyon mula sa ibang institusyon,” the President said.
“Tunay nga pong ang panunumbalik ng integridad
sa GSIS ay nagdudulot ng magagandang resulta: umuusbong muli ang tiwala ng
publiko sa mga institusyon ng gobyerno, at patuloy na tumataas ang kompiyansa
ng mga negosyante sa ating bansa,” he added. (PCOO)
Aquino announces P25-billion GSIS investment
fund for infrastructure projects
President Benigno S. Aquino III announced on
Monday the creation of a P25-billion investment fund which the Government
Service Insurance System would allocate funds to strengthen infrastructure
projects in the Philippines.
The President made the announcement in his
speech keynoting the 75th Founding Anniversary of the GSIS held at the
institution’s headquarters in Pasay City.
Dubbed the Philippine Investment Alliance for
Infrastructure (PInAI), the President said this investment fund, the largest
single investment on infrastructure, would be formally launched in July of this
year and is expected to improve the economy and provide more jobs.
“Sa Hulyo nga po ay ilulunsad na ang Philippine
Investment Alliance for Infrastructure o PInAI. Dalawampu’t limang bilyong
pisong pondo po ang nakataya rito; ito ang pinakamalaking pondong ilalaan para
sa imprastraktura ng bansa,” the President said.
He added that the GSIS would work closely with
the Macquarie Group, a global provider of banking, financial advisory,
investment and funds management services with more than 70 offices in 28
countries in ensuring the project's success.
“Ang GSIS ang nanguna sa pagtataguyod ng pondong
ito na pangangasiwaan naman ng Macquarie Group. Bukod sa ihahatid nitong
serbisyo, magbubunsod pa ito ng lalo pang pagginhawa ng ekonomiya, at
manganganak ng maraming trabaho,” the President said. (rck)
Aquino declares June 20 as special non-working
day in Lipa City in celebration of its 65th Foundation Day
President Benigno S. Aquino III has declared
June 20, which falls on a Wednesday, as a special (non-working) day in the city
of Lipa, Batangas in celebration of its 65th Foundation Day.
The Chief Executive issued the declaration
through Proclamation No. 389 signed by Executive Secretary Paquito N. Ochoa Jr.
on May 24 to give the people of Lipa the full opportunity to celebrate and
participate in the occasion with appropriate ceremonies.
On June 20, 1947, Lipa became a chartered city
by virtue of Republic Act No. 162.
As one of the three cities of the province, Lipa
serves as an Institutional Center. It is home to the provincial offices of the
Department of Labor and Employment, Department of Trade and Industry, and
Department of Agrarian Reform, and regional offices of the Land Transportation
Office and National Statistics Office. (PCOO)
Malacañang bares contingency measures of various
agencies to ensure peace and order, safety of students nationwide during
opening of classes
Malacanang bared the government’s contingency
measures being implemented by various concerned agencies that were tasked to
ensure not only the maintenance of peace and order but also the safety of the
millions of students nationwide who will be going back to school next week.
In a regular press briefing in Malacanang on
Monday, Deputy Presidential Spokesperson Abigail Valte said that the Dpeartment
of Education (DepEd) has launched “Oplan Balik Eskwela-Information Action
Center” to attend to the needs and queries of the parents and students during
the back-to-school season in June.
“Nag-launch na po ang DepEd ‘nung Oplan Balik
Eskwela. Kung matatandaan niyo po noong nakaraang linggo ‘yung Brigada Eskwela
po ang inayos ng DepEd at maganda po ‘yung naging resulta ‘nung ating Brigada
Eskwela. Ngayon naman po ‘yung Oplan Balik Eskwela, nag-launch na po ‘yung
information and action center ng DepEd, mula po ‘yan ngayong araw hanggang June
8 para po doon sa pasukan,” Valte said.
“Bukas po ‘yung Information Action Center (IAC)
mula 7 a.m. to 6 p.m. araw-araw po ‘yan even on weekends. ‘Yung isa pong
hotline, primary hotline po nila is (02) 636-8641. ‘Yung email po nila is
action@deped.gov.ph. Ini-expect po natin na makakakuha po sila ng maraming
query tungkol po doon sa pagbalik eskwela. We are expecting 21 million
schoolchildren to troop back to school for this coming school year,” she added.
Apart from the DepEd, several agencies of the
government were also tapped to perform their respective responsibilities to the
people through coordinated initiatives that include the Department of Public
Works and Highways (DPWH), Department of Trade and Industry (DTI), Department
of Transportation and Communications (DOTC), Department of Health (DoH),
Department of Interior and Local Government (DILG), the Philippine National
Police (PNP), Metro Manila Development Authority (MMDA) and the Philippine
Atmospheric, Geophysical and Astronomical Services Administration (PAGASA).
“At kaakibat po niyan, nagkaroon na po ng
conference ang DepEd at ‘yung mga relevant agencies po natin katulad ng DPWH,
DTI, DOTC, DOH, DILG, PNP, MMDA, at PAGASA para po in preparation for our back
to school for 2012. So kanya-kanya po sila ng assignments,” Valte said.
“Ang DPWH po ‘yung nagsu-supervise ng completion
ng classrooms, ‘yung mga undergoing construction po natin, ‘yung clearing of
road obstructions. Ang DTI naman po nag-launch na rin sila ‘nung kanilang
Diskwento Caravan. We encourage our parents to take advantage of the discounted
school supplies that are being offered in the Diskwento Caravan."
Ang DOTC din po nag-launch na ‘nung Oplan Ligtas
Biyahe para po doon sa mga uuwi galing probinsya, pabalik po ng Maynila para
naman po sa simula ng school year. So ‘yung PNP din po meron na po silang mga
security measures that are being undertaken to make sure that ‘yung Balik
Eskwela po natin will be orderly and will be peaceful as well as the MMDA who
have already started making preparations to ensure that traffic will be
manageable on the first day of school—for the public schools natin that will be
on June 4,” she further noted.
Education Secretary Brother Armin Luistro
through DepEd Memo No. 83, s. of 2012 has also directed the Regional Directors
and schools division / city superintendents to form the Local Information and
Action Center (LIAC) to serve as information and complaints processing and
routing mechanism during the back-to-school program for the school year
2012-2013.
The LIAC is also tasked to designate some of its
personnel to oversee the regional / division and local concerns, set up
hotlines to receive calls, text messages, fax messages and emails on
complaints, requests and suggestions from parents, students and other concerned
citizens and set-up help desks to accommodate walk-in concerns. (PCOO)
