Pensioners To GSIS: Pay Us In Checks
The "No e-Card, No Pension" policy of the GSIS is giving more pain rather than enjoyment to the remaining parts of the pensioners’ lives and therefore it must be scraped immediately.
The GSIS management headed by its chairman and president, Mr. Winston Garcia may not know it, but the "No e-Card, No Pension" policy is an anti old age (senior citizens) who are now suffering instead of enjoying their pensions though very inadequate for the ever increasing cost of living. And to think that those who are affected are persons who spent the best years of their lives in the government, here is a very small amount for the old age welfare Mr. Garcia is making it hard for them to obtain every month. Monthly pension to government retirees are government’s legal obligations to its retired state employees to secure their welfare.
Electronics banking is a state of the arts but it really does not fit for people whose ages are beyond 65 years old.
Consider these points. First, Mr. Garcia of the GSIS has deposited the pension fund with Union bank with very limited branches. In Panay Island and Guimaras, Union Bank has only one (1) branch located in Iloilo City. Pensioners who are living in far away provinces, towns and barangays must go to Iloilo City to get their e-Cards. This will require a very rigorous travel, time and efforts of the pensioners to secure e-Card. This is one way Mr. Garcia inflicts pains to the pensioners.
Second, pensioners who have e-Cards may withdraw their money from any ATM booth of any bank. But any transaction with other banks, pensioners will be charged fees for every transaction. This is a diminution of the already small amount of pension.
Third, since the pensioners are already in the twilight of their lives, most if not all of them have impaired senses. Their senses of hearing, seeing, touching, and remembering are adversely affected. Electronics business transactions will be highly difficult to them. For an e-Card holder, he must remember his PIN number. This will be a problem. His card maybe captured. There is the difficulty of touch. A pensioner may touch the wrong number and he will be in trouble.
Once the cash to be withdrawn comes out of the machine, it must be removed within five (5) seconds, if not it will be captured. And this is happening as the reflexes of the old people are comparatively slow.
Third, old persons may not be able to tolerate the tiredness to fall in line to withdraw their money in the ATM booth. They may collapse falling in line to get their money earned long ago.
Moreover, since they have a slower reflexes, the pensioners may take more time to withdraw money. They may become the subjects of ridicule of younger people waiting in the line. Mr. Garcia maybe entertained with this scenario, senior citizens being the subject of laughter.
Fourth, since there is no Union Bank in Aklan, pensioners’ questions cannot be answered. Mr. Garcia has forgotten perhaps that GSIS was organized to safeguard the welfare of government employees and government retirees, his e-Card program is punishing the pensioners.
His e-Card program to the pensioners rather than promotes welfare is enhancing hardships. To continue paying the pensioners via the e-Card will hasten the end of the lives of the pensioners. Does the GSIS wish to shorten the lives of the pensioners so that it will also end its legal obligation to pay monthly pensions?
The GSIS must resume paying the pensioners with their monthly pensions in checks sent via the Philpost. This way, the GSIS will provide more comfort and not pain to the state pensioners. This will allow pensioners to enjoy the remaining part of their lives.
The postal employees will deliver the checks to the recipients either at home, or the postal employees can send advice to them to claim their respective checks in the post office.
The pensioners hope the GSIS will understand the flight of the pensioners and pay them their monthly pensions in bank checks. /MP
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