THIS IS in response to the letters of Vilma Calingacion and Susan Alcantara-Hombrebueno (Inquirer, 4/11/11) regarding the grant of Employees Compensation (EC) benefits administered by the Government Service Insurance System.
As a background, EC or disability benefits refer to a compensation package given to public and private sector employees and their dependents in the event of the former suffering work-related injury, sickness, disability or death. The benefits include cash income for disability or death, medical and related services for injury or sickness, and rehabilitation services (in addition to monthly cash income benefit) for permanent disability.
For the information of our EC pensioners and their beneficiaries, the GSIS implemented a prioritization of EC benefits’ payment under Board Resolution No. 166, beginning in 2003 as the fund was already depleted at that time. The schedule in the prioritization of payments excluded the payment for medical reimbursements for retirees, which is why the benefit of Calingacion was discontinued.
As to the appeal of Hombrebueno to resume her mother’s survivorship pension, we would like to advise her that her mother is an EC survivorship pensioner. Unlike the regular survivorship pension which continues through the life of the pensioner, EC pension is only guaranteed for a period of five years under Article 194 of the Employees’ Compensation and State Insurance Fund (PD 626).
We would like to inform our EC pensioners and beneficiaries that the GSIS’ governing board and management are undertaking to review the program’s benefits in relation to the current state of the fund and will inform them of any amendment to the program as soon as this is completed. We have individually replied to the concerns of Calingacion and Hombrebueno.
In the meantime, EC pensioners and beneficiaries can coordinate with senior vice president Dionisio Ebdane Jr. at Tel. Nos. 859-0237 and 976-4621 and e-mail address dcebdane@gsis.gov, should they have any inquiry on the program.
—ROBERT G. VERGARA,
president and general manager,
Government Service
Insurance System,
Financial Center, Pasay City