The Government Service Insurance System (GSIS) is once again the target of protest by public school teachers and other government employees.

Hundreds of public school teachers trooped to the GSIS main office in Pasay City on Wednesday, September 13, for a day-long protest action. The teachers occupied the main lobby and grounds of the GSIS from morning until late in the afternoon. They flooded the office with complaints, and demanded immediate action from the GSIS management.

“We are drawing attention to the plight of hundreds of thousands of public school teachers who are still being victimized by the anti-employee policies of the GSIS,” said ACT chairperson Antonio Tinio. “While the GSIS management would like the public to think that all is already well after the turmoil in 2003 and 2004, the truth is that none of the problems we raised back then have been resolved. Our benefits are still being cut down. We are forced to overpay loans that have already been paid. We are saddled with unjust interests, surcharges, and penalties.”

“Three years after its so-called computerization, the membership records of GSIS are still not in order. They are inaccurate and full of holes. The records in their possession do not reflect the actual premium and loan payments that the teachers have been making,” said Quezon City Public School Teachers Association president Tess Busadre. “The GSIS is using their bad records to make bad billing statements—charging us for premiums and loans that we’ve already paid. Teachers and administrators are dismayed.”

The teachers presented the following demands to the GSIS management: scrapping of policies inimical to the interests of GSIS members, such as the premium-based policy, claims and loans interdependency policy, and housing loan policy; scrapping of unjust interests, penalties, and surcharges imposed on members; reimbursement of claims and payments unjustly deducted by the GSIS from its members; and reimbursement for pre-need policies sold by the GSIS which are no longer valid.

“This is a collective display of anger at this government’s inaction on our complaints!” said Manila Public School Teachers Association president Minda Galang. “But this is just a foretaste of things to come if our demands are not met. We are prepared for more protests.” #

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