It is the responsibility of GSIS and SSS to make sure that retirees received their checks on time to shield them from being forced to come out of their houses just to claim their pensions.
Government institutions like GSIS and SSS must ensure that retirees will receive their pensions on time, so that they will not be forced to go out of their house to claim their checks personally and risk contracting the virus.
GOVERNMENT financial institutions like the Social Security System, Government Service Insurance System and others should not delay the release of pensions of retirees, to ensure they will not be forced to go out and wait in line in enclosed spaces like banks where they risk being contaminated with COVID-19.
Rep. Rodolfo Ordanes of the Senior Citizen partylist made this call as he suggested that banks use the electronic payments means which have built-in “Know Your Customer” measures to ascertain the identity of recipients.
If a pensioner has a bank account, then that would also serve the purpose.
He added that the other option could be a door-to-door delivery service to send cash cards directly to and received by the pensioners themselves.
“Because of COVID-19, it is not safe for pensioners to venture out of their homes to enclosed spaces like banks and waiting in line,” he said.
“Sa utos ng IATF hindi na kailangan pa ang ‘personal appearance’ ng pensioners para magsumite ng mga kinakailangan dokumento at para magtuluy-tuloy ang kanilang buwanang pensyon simula sa darating na Marso 1, 2021,” Ordanes added.
“Nakatitiyak ako na sa hakbang ng Malakanyang at IATF, mawawala na ang pangamba ng mga pensioner na maaring maputol ang kanilang pension kapag hindi sila personal na nakapunta sa mga kinauukulang ahensiya tulad ng Government Service Insurance Service at Social Security System,” he continued.
Pensioners can also be registered online by GSIS and SSS but the weakness of this option is that not all pensioners are internet literate o have easy access to the internet.