Government Service Insurance System (Philippines)

The Government Service Insurance System (Filipino: "Paseguruhan ng mga Naglilingkod sa Pamahalaan", GSIS) of the Republic of the Philippines, created by Commonwealth Act No. 186 passed on November 14, 1936, 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 RA656 of the Property Insurance Law. It provides insurance coverage to assets and properties which have government insurable interests.

Coverage

The GSIS covers all government workers irrespective of their employment status, except employees who have separate retirement schemes under special laws, to wit:
* Members of the Judiciary and Constitutional Commissions
* Contractual employees who have no employee-employer relationship with their agencies
* Uniformed members of the Armed Forces of the Philippines and the Philippine National Police, including the *Bureau of Jail Management and Penology and the Bureau of Fire Protection

Benefits and services

The principal benefit package of the GSIS consist of compulsory and optional life insurance, retirement, separation and employee's compensation benefits.

ervice privileges

Active GSIS members are entitled to the following loan privileges: salary, policy, emergency and housing loans.

Organization

The governing and policy-making body of the GSIS is the Board of Trustees, the members of which are appointed by the President of the Philippines.

The GSIS workforce consists of 3,104 employees, 52% of whom are in the Head Office while the remaining 48% are in the Branches. To date, there are 40 branches and 78 satellite offices nationwide. It is envisioned that the System's service network will continue to increase as the institution is committed to provide branch offices in every province where there exists a minimum of 15,000 active members.

$ 5 billion investment

On January 25, 2008, GSIS president and general manager Winston Garcia announced "that it will be investing a total of $5 billion in fixed income, equities and properties here and abroad, with foreign $1 billion initial investment, and another local, $1 billion." [ [http://www.gmanews.tv/story/77976/GSIS-investing-5B-in-global-local-instruments GMA NEWS.TV, GSIS investing $5B in global, local instruments] ]

References

* [http://www.chanrobles.com/legal4gsis.htm 1997 legislation]

Notes