MANILA – Lanao del Sur 1st District Rep. Zia Alonto Adiong on Monday urged his colleagues to pass a measure allowing Government Service Insurance System (GSIS) member to designate beneficiaries in the absence of primary or secondary recipients.
Under his House Bill (HB) 9792 or “An Act Amending Presidential Decree 1146 as amended by Republic Act (RA) 8291 or the Government Service System Insurance Act of 1997,” Adiong seeks to empower certain GSIS members to pick someone who deserves to be his or her designated beneficiary.
RA 8291 allows only the primary and secondary beneficiaries to receive the survivorship pension.
“Through this measure, which has been pending with the Committee on Government Enterprises and Privatization, since January 23, we tend to acknowledge the single government employees that because of their devotion to public service, they were denied of an opportunity to have time for themselves to build their own families,” Adiong said in a statement.
Adiong said these GSIS members usually act as breadwinners not only for his immediate family, but also for their extended relatives.
“There are persons they love who depend on them for financial and other support for daily needs,” he added.
The proposal aims to expand the definition of secondary beneficiaries under the GSIS Law, like a certain provision stated under the Social Security Act of 2018 (Republic Act 11199) Section 8 (k), which says: “Any other person designated by a member shall be his/her secondary beneficiary.”
Adiong said despite having no parents and legitimate descendants, the member can still pick and designate the person to receive assistance from the fruits of his annual hardship and sacrifice while catering public service to the people.
The measure, he said, also aims to enhance and improve the member-centric accommodation of the GSIS, that will allow the member to make personal decisions regarding the distribution of benefits. (PNA)
