MANILA – The Government Service Insurance System (GSIS) will open on April 23 the Multi-Purpose Loan (MPL) Plus program that offers a credit limit of PHP5 million. It also extended the maximum payment term to 10 years and relaxed the borrowers’ eligibility requirements.
“We enhanced the MPL program based on the feedback from members in the previous MPL so we can offer a loan program that will best suit their needs. Sa MPL Plus, umaasa ang GSIS na mas marami pa tayong miyembrong matutulungan,” president and General Manager (PGM) Rolando Ledesma Macasaet said in a statement on Monday.
Under MPL Plus, the credit limit has been raised to PHP5 million from PHP3 million. The actual amount will depend on the borrowers’ paid premiums and monthly salary.
The uniform interest rate of 7 percent computed in advance will be applied to all borrowers. In the previous MPL, members with less than three years of paid premiums were charged 8 percent interest, while those with at least three years of premiums were charged 7 percent.
“Sa abot ng ating makakaya (In the best way that we can), we will keep helping our members put their finances in order. From the start, the objective of our loan program is to give our government workers access to cheap credit,” Macasaet added.
Moreover, GSIS relaxed the eligibility conditions of prospective applicants.
Previously, members with arrearages in their GSIS Financial Assistance Loan (GFAL) and housing loan are not qualified to avail of the MPL. Now, under MPL Plus, they will be allowed to apply, but their arrearages under GFAL will be deducted from the proceeds of their loan.
Qualifications for applying for MPL Plus are regular and special GSIS members who have paid at least three months of premiums; are not on leave of absence without pay at the time of application; and have no pending administrative or criminal case.
In addition, they should not belong to an agency which has been tagged as suspended, and their net take-home pay should not go lower than the amount required under the General Appropriations Act after all monthly obligations have been deducted.
Qualified for a 10-year loan term are: permanent employees who have at least 10 years of premium payments; members with existing Home Emergency Loan Program (HELP) account; and special members under agencies with memoranda of agreement on MPL with GSIS.
Non-permanent government personnel who have at least 15 years of premium contributions, on the other hand, may pay for the loan in nine years. Previously, their maximum loan term was only five years.
Members may apply for the loan via the GSIS Touch mobile app; GSIS Wireless Automated Processing System (GWAPS) kiosks strategically located nationwide; e-mail; electronic GSIS Member Online (eGSISMO); or drop boxes located in all GSIS offices.
"For the safety of both our clients and employees, we will only accept over-the-counter or in-person filing if the GWAPS kiosk is offline, or if the applicant has lost or defective electronic card (eCard) or Unified Multipurpose Identification (UMID) card; has unreadable biometrics; or is a temporary eCard holder,” Macasaet said.
MPL Plus consolidates loan balances and charges for outstanding Salary Loan, Restructured Salary Loan; Enhanced Salary Loan; Emergency Loan Assistance; Summer One-Month Salary Loan; ConsoLoan Plus/Enhanced ConsoLoan Plus; Member's Cash Advance/eCard Cash Advance/eCard Plus Cash Advance; Home Emergency Loan Program (HELP); Educational Assistance Loans I and II (EAL I/II); Study Now Pay Later; Fly PAL, Pay Later; and Stock Purchase Loan.
In 2021 alone, GSIS was able to disburse PHP106 billion to 444,425 members who availed of MPL.
For other details on MPL Plus, interested borrowers may visit the GSIS website (www.gsis.gov.ph) or GSIS Facebook account (@gsis.ph); email [email protected]; or call the GSIS Contact Center at 8847-4747 (if in Metro Manila), 1-800-8-847-4747 (for Globe and TM subscribers), or 1-800-10-847-4747 (for Smart, Sun, and Talk ‘N Text subscribers). (PR)
