Another GSIS employee tested positive for coronavirus

MANILA, Philippines — Another employee of the Government Service Insurance System (GSIS) tested positive for the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19), bringing the total number of confirmed cases in the state pension fund to two.

This was confirmed by GSIS President and General Manager Rolando Ledesma Macasaet in a statement Wednesday.

The male employee is confined at the Las Piñas General Hospital.

Earlier, a female GSIS employee who had a travel history to Japan tested positive for COVID-19. She is currently confined at the San Juan de Dios Hospital.

“We are currently in the process of ‘contact tracing’ and notifying the persons whom these two employees have had close contact with to self-quarantine,” Macasaet said.

Due to recent developments and the increased threat of COVID-19 nationwide, the pension fund chief ordered a lockdown of all branch offices across the country.

But Macasaet assured the public that GSIS would continue its operations with employees working at home. He also said that the pension fund will continue to accept loan applications, through the GSIS Wireless Automated Processing System (GWAPS) kiosks.

“We also would like to assure our pensioners that they would receive their pensions on time. Huwag po kayo mag-alala (Don’t worry),” the GSIS chief stressed.

In a public advisory (posted on the GSIS Facebook page), the management announced that the following GSIS services are temporarily suspended nationwide:

-Filing and processing of retirement/separation benefit claims;
-Filing and processing of non-life insurance claims;
-Filing and processing of GSIS Financial Assistance Loan (GFAL) applications;
-GFAL program extended to 30 September 2020; and
-Releasing of GSIS UMID eCards.

GSIS is also granting a one-month grace period on all premium remittances, loan payments, housing loan amortizations and rentals of GSIS real properties.

As of date, the Philippines has 202 confirmed COVID-19 cases with 17 deaths and 7 recoveries.

President Duterte has placed the entire Philippines under a state of calamity for six months due to the virus.

He has also placed the entire Luzon under enhanced community quarantine in a bid to prevent the further spread of the contagion.