We were correct from the very beginning: the GSIS is only pulling our legs in the aftermath of typhoon Frank. It is only out to score pogi points when it announced a window for calamity loans.

Provincial employees have countless woes to tell how GSIS duped them. One spent an entire Saturday waiting in a long line. She went home happy that afternoon because her application was granted.

However, she turned sour that same day because she got a text message from GSIS apologizing. Her application was rejected.

Mayor Betsy Salcedo of Concepcion town is aghast. Her employees spent days traveling to Iloilo City, 110 kilometers south of their homes, to apply for calamity loans. GSIS bigwigs personally told them all their applications were approved. All later got text messages that their applications were denied.

GSIS tricked them pure and simple. But the fate of two or more Concepcion employees was worse. They were duped and still were billed, through the GSIS web page, for the monies they applied for but never got. They complained to the GSIS regional office in Iloilo City but were adviced to write a letter to the central office explaining why they should not be held liable for the principal and interest payment.

That shows that, despite computerization, common sense, efficiency and public service are beyond the grasp of GSIS and its top guns led by that infernal character Winston Garcia. They dupe you or put you at the receiving ends of their blunders yet they still have the gall to require you to bend on your knees to correct your records that, in the first place, were sullied by their stupidity.

That institution is making life a hell for retirees and sick members. The weak, old and dying do not have the luxury of resting on their beds because GSIS doesn’t honor SPA (special power of attorney) documents. They have to appear in person no matter how inconvenient or risky it may be.

It’s not uncommon to see old and sick people, on wheel chairs or stretchers, with IV bottles slung on metal rods linked by tubes to their arms agonizing for their turns at the GSIS.

GSIS should follow Land Bank that honors SPA. We have personally experienced that years back when a kin was gasping for life on a hospital bed and could not withdraw by herself. The bank accepted the SPA, and later sent employees to check her confinement.

The mental paucity of GSIS reminds us of the majority at the city council who rejected the proposed ordinance of Kgd. Jeffrey Ganzon establishing a city college.

Ganzon insists that the city has the money to build the school, hire teachers and spend for the scholarship of poor students.

Over P109 million special education fund (SEF) sits as time deposits in various banks in the city, yet the majority still require that Ganzon must first get the go-signal of Mayor Jerry Treñas.

The impact of a city college is tremendous but the majority can’t see that. Anyway, to those who co-sponsor Ganzon’s proposal, may your tribe increase – Julienne Baronda, Irene Ong, Ely Estante, Arman Parcon, Lyndon Acap and Lex Tupas.

2 Responses to “GSIS and city college”

• 1
  Bruce in Iloilo
  July 24th, 2008 22:35

  One should be careful about blaming the problems of the GSIS on only one person. As the above makes clear, the problems with GSIS is more widespread. It is built into the corporate culture of the bureaucracy. GSIS has over 3,000 employees spread across 125+ offices. This is not gigantic but it is not small either. A single person cannot be held responsible for the endemic problems of GSIS. Of course, Garcia could affect more change if he spent less time grandstanding on non-GSIS issues and more time fixing the serious corporate culture problems on GSIS
• 2
  Mike
  July 24th, 2008 22:49

  For the city college, I think it would be best for Iloilo not to put up a city college. We have a lot of universities and colleges in the city (UPV, WVSU, CPU, USA, SPUI). We cannot afford to build another college and produce substandard graduates. If we are worried of the usage of the money just sitting in the banks, then maybe the city government can have a scholarship program for those poor and deserving students. They can support the academic expenses of these students in the existing instutions in Iloilo.

  I am worried of putting up a college, and producing substandard graduates later on. I am affraid that later on, this college will have to be in need of more funding to sustain its operations. So why not invest on existing universities? Investing on what we already have will result to a stronger educational system in Iloilo.

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