The Government Service Insurance System (GSIS), in partnership with the Social Security System (SSS), led the celebration of National Pensioners’ Day at the GSIS Head Office in Pasay City as part of the week-long National Pensioners’ Week.
The event pays tribute to the invaluable contributions of the country’s retirees and pensioners while bringing services closer to them.
More than 200 pre-registered pensioners from the Philippine Alliance of Retired Educators (PARE), GSIS Retirees Association Inc. (GRAI), and SSS pensioners joined the day-long program.
The event featured free medical wellness check-ups, pampering services such as massage and haircut in partnership with the Technical Education and Skills Development Authority (TESDA), distribution of tokens, awarding of land titles to ten pensioners, and a film screening of “Miss Granny” courtesy of Viva Films.
The celebration was made even more memorable by a special performance from the country’s “Soul Siren”, Nina, who serenaded the pensioners with her signature hits, giving the audience a heartwarming musical treat.
In her message, GSIS OfficerinCharge President and General Manager Juliet Bautista honored the nation’s retirees.
“Ang araw na ito ay para sa inyo, ating mahal na pensioners, bilang pagkilala at pasasalamat sa lahat ng taon ng serbisyo at sakripisyo ninyo para sa bayan at sa inyong pamilya,” Bautista said.
She added that recent reforms, such as the removal of the survivorship pension cap, the lifting of the cohabitation rule for survivorship pensioners, more flexible Christmas Cash Gift rules, and online pension applications via GSIS Touch, are all meant to bring ginhawa and security to retirees.
Finance Undersecretary Rolando Tungpalan, speaking on behalf of Secretary Ralph Recto, lauded GSIS and SSS for honoring the country’s pensioners.
“You are not footnotes in our budget books. You are the reason these programs exist,” Tungpalan said.
Quoting Secretary Recto, he added: “Ito ang patunay ng totoong serbisyong publiko: hindi dagdag abala, kundi dagdag ginhawa. Hindi lumang sistema, kundi makabagong solusyon. Hindi mabagal na proseso, kundi mabilis na aksyon.”
He stressed that the Department of Finance’s role is to ensure that government financial institutions like GSIS remain strong and stable, so that “benefits today must still be benefits tomorrow. Promises must outlast the people who make them.”
Tungpalan also pointed to the awarding of land titles as proof that government can “deliver dreams” and affirmed that the true measure of a nation lies in how it treats those who have given their best years in service.
For his part, SSS President and CEO Robert Joseph De Claro emphasized the unity of GSIS and SSS in honoring retirees, “This is not a time to compare benefits but to recognize that both GSIS and SSS honor you, our pensioners, as the people who built this nation. Together, our institutions are working to strengthen governance and improve benefits for our members and retirees,” he said.
Extending the celebration nationwide, Pensioners’ Day activities were held in GSIS branch offices:
- September 10 – GSIS Cabanatuan (North Luzon)
- September 11 – GSIS Laguna (South Luzon)
Pensioners’ Day in two more areas will be conducted on:
- September 12 – GSIS Cebu (Visayas)
- September 12 – GSIS Tagum (Mindanao)
The National Pensioners’ Week is being held to recognize the decades of service rendered by the country’s pensioners and provide a platform to address their concerns, promote financial security, and highlight reforms that strengthen the pension system.
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