The Government Service Insurance System (GSIS) has earmarked nearly ₱8 billion in emergency loans for more than 317,000 active members and pensioners affected by recent typhoons and flooding in 16 areas across Luzon and Mindanao.
In a statement issued Friday, Sept. 18, the state pension fund said it had expanded its emergency loan program to cover 317,721 active members and old-age and disability pensioners in areas hit by typhoons “Luis,” “Maymay,” and “Neneng,” as well as the enhanced southwest monsoon, or “habagat.”
Qualified borrowers with no existing emergency loan may avail themselves of ₱20,000, while those with an outstanding balance may borrow up to ₱40,000, with the balance deducted from the proceeds. The loans carry a six-percent interest rate computed in advance and are payable over 36 monthly installments – ₱655.56 a month for a ₱20,000 loan and ₱1,311.11 a month for a ₱40,000 loan.
To qualify, active members must work for an agency located in, or reside in, a declared calamity area, and must not be on leave without pay. They must have paid the required three-month premium contributions within the prescribed six-month period, have no loans unpaid for more than six months, have no pending administrative or criminal case, and retain a minimum take-home pay of ₱5,000 after the loan.
Pensioners must reside in a declared calamity area and retain at least 25 percent of their basic monthly pension after the loan is deducted.
Application deadlines vary by area, running from Sept. 20 to Nov. 16. Members and pensioners in Hagonoy, Bulacan and Masinloc, Zambales have until Sept. 20 to apply. The deadline is Sept. 26 for the rest of Bulacan (except Calumpit and Hagonoy), Bataan, the rest of Zambales (except Olongapo City and Masinloc), and La Trinidad, Benguet.
Nasugbu, Batangas and Paluan, Occidental Mindoro have until Sept. 27, while the remaining municipalities in Benguet, Tarlac, and Pangasinan (outside Dagupan City, Mangaldan, and Sta. Barbara) have until Oct. 2.
The remaining deadlines are Oct. 3 for Imelda, Zamboanga Sibugay; Oct. 7 for the rest of Occidental Mindoro; Oct. 9 for Olongapo City; Nov. 12 for Cavite; and Nov. 16 for Rodriguez, Rizal.
Applications may be filed through the GSIS Touch mobile app, with proceeds credited directly to the borrower’s accredited eCard or Unified Multi-Purpose Identification (UMID) card.
This is the second emergency loan expansion GSIS has announced in less than a month. In late August, the fund opened a ₱4.4-billion facility for 166,789 members and pensioners in nine Luzon areas. Friday’s package nearly doubles that coverage and, for the first time this cycle, extends into Mindanao.
