The New System Helps GSIS Management Detecs 1.3M Fictitious Members- Mooney

March 12,2010
The New System Helps GSIS Management Detects 1.3M Fictitious Members-Mooney
By Quirico M. Gorpido, Jr.

Maasin City, Southern Leyte-The adoption of the new computerization system that started in 2002 has greatly helped the Government Service Insurance System (GSIS) management in identifying some fictitious members.
This was the disclosure of GSIS Regional Manager Velma Fuentes-Mooney in a get-together held during the recent evening at the Supercha Restaurant here. It was attended by almost all of the print and broadcast media practitioners in the province.
The Regional Manager informed that the computerization has started in 2002 up to 2007.During this period a total of 2.7M GSIS members were detected to have 1.3M fictitious members and only 1.4M were bonafide or real members. “Without the adoption of the new system, we could not have identify some of the fictitious members and the pension fund would be gone by 2009”, she predicted..
She implied that from time to time the GSIS management was providing pensions and loans to its members.However,it doesn’t mean that the office is going into business. “Loans are just a privilege offered to members”, she said “and they are obliged to pay it with 12% interest per annum.”
She said those loans’ interests were used as administration’s expenses and other line of services.
She revealed that there were criticisms hurled at them because of the new system but said that they will have to face it. “Its better that critics get angry today and curse us today that be angry with us forever. We are doing it for the benefit of the members”, she emphasized.
Mooney clarified that yearend bonuses are for qualified members and that cash advances for pensioners are optional.
Asked by the group how true is the rumor that GSIS-Maasin branch has been relegated into a satellite office, she replied that GSIS-Maasin has remained as branch office.
Mooney explained that the previous widening of the road has affected GSIS makeshift tent-shade constructed alongside the building for waiting pensioners. “The situation would endanger their (pensioners’) safety”, she said, “the reason why we decided to transfer to a two-storey government building at Maasin Pier which is lower in monthly rental”. Aside from that some of the personnel were transferred to Tacloban-GSIS office, it was learned.
She clarified that a satellite office has only 5 staff. It has no treasurer, no cashier and no legal officer, which is a stark contrast to that of the Maasin-GSIS.
She informed that GSIS-Catarman and Borongan were both satellite offices under the Catbalogan-GSIS.While GSIS-Ormoc is also a satellite office under the regional GSIS-Tacloban office.
The Regional Manager said that before, the GSIS has different databases that were hard to reconcile. “With the new system all data from various GSIS branch offices were merged as one database in a so-called GSIS oracle. In this system it’s easy to access any members’ name”, she confided.
She also pointed out that the GSIS management will stick to the new system and has no intention in going back to the manual operation and that the “Oracle Migration” was done in December. “If we did not change and adopt a new system, maybe in 2009 the money would be gone”, she reiterated.
The amiable GSIS Manager in answer to some speculation about its office fund, underscored that based on the current pecuniary condition of the entire GSIS pension fund, it will last up to 2067.”It’s not true that GSIS has no more money”, she said.

Full Dependent, Full Support
Mooney further clarified that qualified pensioners who have dependents will continue to receive full support. However, “If a spouse will get married again her support will be cut off”, she said. “But if he/she will remain without another partner, he/she will also continue to receive monetary support for lifetime”. She claimed this is a worldwide law.
Nonetheless, those who have live-in partners, if reported to us, we’ll act on the report and if found to be true their pensions will be cut off, she stressed.
The congenial Manager furthermore underscored the need for all bonafide GSIS members to have their e-cards.
She added that GSIS will spearhead as the prime mover in the use of unified cards for all government employees. “The unified cards can serve its holders, not only as GSIS ID cards but also in various government transactions like in SSS, BIR, NSO, PhilHealth and Pag-Ibig Fund. The multi-purpose ID cards which were pilot-tested are to be rolled out this March 2010.”(Quirico M. Gorpido, Jr.)