March 29, 2024

Suspend GSIS-APIR policy, not the pension payouts

This is a reaction to the Government Service Insurance System’s untimely suspension of pension payouts for failure of some members to comply with the Annual Pensioners Information Revalidation (APIR) that requires the annual personal appearance of government pensioners to renew or revalidate the status of their pension.
The lockdown prevented concerned pensioners to comply with the APIR policy. Moreover, the pensioners were expecting suspension of the APIR requirement and not the suspension the pension.
Quarantine protocols should prevail over the GSIS policy. Therefore, the APIR should have been suspended, rather than stopped.
Non-suspension of the APIR endangers the health and life of vulnerable elderly pensioners. — AGAPITO P. DELMAS, president, Benguet GSIS Pensioners Association Inc.