Malaya Columnists Wants GSIS Audited

In his Sept. 2, 2008 column, Ray O. Arcilla, a Malaya columnist, has this to say about the incompetence of the GSIS under petty bureaucrat Winston Garcia.

The Government Service Insurance System (GSIS) has asked the Commission on Audit (COA) to audit the books of Meralco. Fine. But many believe COA should also audit GSIS.

GSIS claims that an audit of Meralco would reveal a can of worms. Many believe that an audit of GSIS would unravel not a can, but a barrel, of worms.

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The GSIS introduced the eCard System Plus to pay the pension of its retirees more than two years ago. But some 700 in the United States (by GSIS' own admission) have not been paid their pension. There are more in other foreign countries. At an average of P300,000 each, a conservative figure, GSIS owes these people P210,000,000. Where is that money? Is it earning interest for the pensioners concerned?

GSIS says these pensioners have not been paid because they have not enrolled in the eCard System. How the heck can they do that when they have to travel long distances to enroll in GSIS kiosks in just four locations in the US, namely, Los Angeles , San Francisco , Chicago and New York ?

GSIS finally decided to close down the kiosks. They were not effective in enrolling the pensioners in the eCard system. Instead, GSIS resorted to using the website www.skype.com to enroll the unpaid retirees.

At first, GSIS President Winston Garcia made a show of communicating directly with Ambassador Rodolfo Arizala who lives in Santiago, Chile , to tell him about Skype. Arizala was told to buy a laptop and other paraphernalia just so he can be enrolled in the eCard system. After a painstaking process, Arizala finally got his back pension.

Arizala's experience was a breeze compared to that of Adelaida Fajilago (ilijansimara@yahoo.com), another GSIS retiree confined to a nursing home in New York because of a severe stroke.

Listen to what her brother-in-law said about Adelaida's experience:

"In my view, this e-Card and voice verification requirements re pension payment of my sister-in-law Adelaida Fajilago is an inconvenience not only for the pensioner but also for her family.
"Her family was required to prepare a computer unit with webcam capability, and to enroll at skype.com to have an account for the pensioner. Since there was no available internet access in the nursing home for this purpose, Adelaida's family took the risk - due to her health condition - to take her home for said purpose, plus the fact that it was daytime there and night time here. While to travel is not convenient for Adelaida Fajilago, her family did the best way possible in order to comply with the GSIS requirements.

"The process started a little bit past 8 p.m. here with the GSIS asking Adelaida questions about her work, residence while still there in the Philippines, and other questions to verify her identity; then they took pictures of Adelaida with two (2) identification cards, and asked additional questions about her address and situation here.
"Then the voice verification followed. Adelaida was asked to count from zero to nine three times while the GSIS personnel were taking voice recording; it took a while doing this part since there were instances when Adelaida's voice was low and could not be captured by the recording; there was an instance when she started at one instead of zero; there was an instance when she counted up to ten instead of up to nine only. It appeared to me that the count from one to nine must be clear and identical/similar, as much as possible, three times. Any error meant it must be repeated.

"When all the requirements were accomplished to their satisfaction, Adelaida's family asked them as to how long it will take to process the e-card...to which they answered, they will do their best so that Adelaida can have it before her birthday this coming September 10. I am not sure when the e-card would arrive here and what would be the next step."

Adelaida's brother-in-law added:

"Prior to this e-card/voice verification requirements adopted by the GSIS relating to pension payments, Adelaida had complied with all documents required by the GSIS relating to her pension benefits/payments; at the same time, she executed in favor of her eldest son a Power of Attorney for this purpose.

"Now that the GSIS has identified/proven that indeed Adelaida is a pensioner/alive, would it not be rational for the GSIS, and in fairness to Adelaida, to release her accrued lump sum pension to her son by virtue of the Power of Attorney