GSIS grants emergency loan to quake-hit members in Negros

Tuesday, February 14, 2012

THE Government Service Insurance System announced it will be granting emergency loans for members in Negros Oriental who were affected by the 6.9-magnitude earthquake that hit the province on Feb. 6.

“We are looking at more than 8,000 members who are eligible under the emergency loan program, and we have allocated P164 million for them,” said Robert G. Vergara, GSIS president and general manager.

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Qualified members can avail of the P20,000 emergency loan from Feb. 8 to March 9 in any of the 11 GSIS kiosks, deployed throughout Negros Oriental, using either their unified multi-purpose ID (UmID) card or temporary card.

The kiosks are located in the following areas: Provincial Capitol, Department of Education-Capitol area, GSIS Dumaguete office, Bayawan City Hall, Bais City Hall, Guinhulngan City Hall, Kanlaon City Hall, Tanjay City Hall, and Siaton City Hall.

Members who do not have an UmID card but who are eligible to apply for the loan can apply through over-the-counter at the GSIS Dumaguete branch.

The members who are qualified to avail of the loan are those bonafide employees of the agency located in the calamity area or residents in the area; on active service status and not on leave of absence without pay; have no pending criminal or administrative charges; have no arrearages in the payment of mandatory social insurance contributions; and have no loan that has been declared in default.

The pension fund has reduced the interest rate for its emergency loan from eight percent to six percent and would no longer charge a one percent service fee for the loan. It has also extended the payment of the first amortization from one month to three months.

“This is part of the current effort of the board and management to make our policies and programs more responsive to our members, particularly in times of adversity,” Vergara said.

For more details or queries about the emergency loan program, members may visit the GSIS Dumaguete branch office, National Highway, Daro, Dumaguete City, or call (035) 225-0370.