State pension fund Government Service Insurance System (GSIS) is the latest agency to join the initiative in contributing to the country’s digital transformation and e-governance framework.
In a media release, Rolando Ledesma Macasaet, President and General Manager of the GSIS, urged pensioners to try a new online option in updating their personal information and complying with the yearly report mandated by the agency.
The GSIS President explained that the agency will be integrating its Annual Pensioners Information Revalidation (APIR) programme in various online channels.
Pensioners, both age-old and survivorship, must first book an online interview via text or by sending an email to their GSIS handling branch or unit as posted on the GSIS website. They will then receive confirmation of their interview through Viber, Facebook Messenger, Skype or Zoom.
This statement comes after the GSIS unveiled plans to resume its APIR programme in 2021. Under the programme, all pensioners are required to appear personally at GSIS offices during their birth months in order to continue receiving their pensions.
The APIR system is one of the state pension fund’s monitoring schemes launched to prevent any overpayment of pensions. This system was taken down by the GSIS early this year. However, it was re-established and integrated with online platforms to address health and safety concerns during the pandemic. The GSIS President emphasised that the new “contactless method” will help in securing the safety of pensioners while also ensuring that they receive their pensions on time.
The GSIS President added that they are still on the lookout for innovative ways “to harness technology [and] make transacting with GSIS convenient and safe for members and pensioners.”
The Online APIR is one of several methods for reporting and revalidating personal information. Pensioners may opt to complete their transactions through the GSIS Wireless Automated Processing System (GWAPS). They may also transact with GSIS by personal appearance, as well as through home or hospital visits from GSIS personnel.
For pensioners who choose to book an interview through email, they need to send via email copies of their Unified Multi-Purpose IDs (UMID). However, for surviving spouses of pensioners, they have to fill up a downloadable form stating that they have not yet remarried. PWDs or pensioners with permanent disabilities must include an original copy of their medical progress report in their email.
The Online APIR shall likewise benefit pensioners who are currently residing abroad. These pensioners may request or schedule their interview through email.
Personal interviews may be undertaken by visiting GSIS kiosks during the pensioner’s birth month. These kiosks are located in selected malls in the Philippines as well as in major government offices.
For pensioners who would opt to personally appear in GSIS to comply with the APIR report, they may proceed to any GSIS branch office or service desk during their birth month. They must likewise present their UMID card or two valid government-issued IDs.
The GSIS was quick to issue a reminder to old and weak pensioners to take necessary precautions in utilising non-online methods to report to the state pension fund amid the pandemic. Pensioners who are bedridden or confined in a hospital or penal institution shall be visited and interviewed by GSIS employees to be able to comply with the APIR requirement.
Aside from the GSIS, many government agencies have taken the lead in spurring economic stability through the adoption of innovative projects and operational frameworks. In the education sector, a contactless disbursement scheme for allowances to scholars is set to be utilised. According to a recent report by OpenGov Asia, the Technical Education and Skills Development Authority (TESDA) announced that it has formed a partnership with an e-wallet service provider to send school funds to its scholars.
