GSIS set to improve costumer-servicing,
Policies to be more member--friendly
By Rizalie Anding Calibo
Policies to be more member--friendly
By Rizalie Anding Calibo
LARENA, Siquijor, May 23 (PIA)---Consistent with President Benigno S. Aquino Administration’s direction for change, the Government Service Insurance System (GSIS) is set to bring changes and improve costumer-servicing, said, GSIS Vice President for Visayas and Mindanao Salvacion Mate in a Forum Monday (May 20) at the Siquijor State College, Larena, Siquijor.
Mate said, a comprehensive review of all policies of the GSIS has been undertaken, as the pension fund attempts to resolve all outstanding issues affecting its membership.
She said the GSIS President and General Manager, Roberto G. Vergara wanted to revisit the policies which have been the cause of much ire and clamor among members and pensioners, particularly the Premium-Based Policy, the Claims and Loans Interdependency Policy (CLIP), and the grant of survivorship pension.
“We want to restore the social mission of the fund, that is, to provide a basic safety net for government retirees in their old age.
Clearly, throughout this process, we need to strike a balance between the needs of our members and the actuarial solvency of the fund, Mate said echoing Vergara’s statement.
Mate further said that the management is taking a second look at its organizational structure to complement the policy review to ensure that it promotes costumer-service orientation.
Upon assumption into office last September, PGM Vergara, Mate noted, has announced that under his stewardship of the GSIS, his goal as chief of the pension fund would be “to position the GSIS as the foremost service-oriented organization in the country—one that is responsive to the needs of its members and pensioners with the requisite financial strength and corporate integrity.” (RACalibo/PIA-Siquijor)
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Relaxed survivorship policy allowed - GSIS
By Rizalie Anding Calibo
By Rizalie Anding Calibo
LARENA, Siquijor, May 21 (PIA)---Good news to the surviving spouses of the GSIS members and pensioners.
The Government Service Insurance System (GSIS), under its new leadership is effecting a more relaxed survivorship policy as a result of the comprehensive review of all policies by the GSIS management and its newly-constituted Board of Trustees to resolve all outstanding issues affecting its membership.
This was announced by GSIS Vice President for Visayas and Mindanao Salvacion Mate in a Forum Monday (May 20) at the Siquijor State College, Larena, Siquijor.
These policies which have angered GSIS members and pensioners include the Premium-Based Policy, the Claims and Loans Interdependency Policy (CLIP), and the grant of survivorship pension, she said.
As a result, Mate said, the Board resolved to remove the stringent provisions on the qualification for GSIS survivorship pension, which has prevented survivorship pensioners from enjoying the benefit.
Unlike before, she announced, that surviving spouses of members and pensioners are now allowed to receive their monthly pension benefits even if they are gainfully employed and receiving other sources of income.
Under the new guideline on the grant of survivorship, maximum amount of basic survivorship pension should not exceed 50 percent of Step 8 of the current salary of an Undersecretary under the Salary Standardization Law.
The ceiling, she explained is based on the rank of an Undersecretary as this is the highest career position in government.
More than 30,000 old-age and survivorship pensioners stand to benefit from the relaxed survivorship policy, she said. (RACalibo/PIA-Siquijor)
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FSTP gets Siquijor dads’ support
Cong. Fua commits another P1M for Siquijor farmers,
By Rizalie Anding Calibo
Cong. Fua commits another P1M for Siquijor farmers,
By Rizalie Anding Calibo
SIQUIJOR, May 21 (PIA)---Apparently pleased with the performance of the Farmer- Scientists Training Program (FSTP) in Siquijor province, Siquijor leaders, led by Representative of the lone district of Siquijor, Congressman Orlando B. Fua and Provincial Governor Orlando A. Fua Jr. with all other local officials are giving another boost to Siquijor farmers as they vowed to continuously support the agricultural needs of the farmers, particularly those that have undergone the FSTP.
Cong. Fua during the joint graduation ceremony and launching of Phases II and III of the Farmer-Scientists Training Program (FSTP) on corn-based production system for Sustainable Agricultural Development early last month, committed another P1M worth for agricultural projects as he vowed to fully support the program.
As can be noted, Congressman Fua during his term as the Provincial Governor has declared Siquijor province an FSTP-country in 2004 with a total of 338 farmer-scientist- graduates covering its six municipalities. A lot more were added every year since then.
In his declaration, he was hopeful and confident that a rapid growth in agricultural production of the province is achieved.
Last month, another 419 farmer scientists graduated in FSTP -- three of whom are from Siquijor Capital town (phase I = 39 & phase II = 4), 52 from Larena (phase I = 13, phase II = 20 and phase III = 19) , 25 from Enrique Villanueva ( phase I = 14 and phase III = 6), 57 from Maria (phase II = 22), 91 from Lazi ( phase I = 19 and phase II = 72) and 191 from San Juan (phase I = 93, phase II = 36 & phase III = 62).
The new list inspired Siquijor officials to do more as they renewed all-out financial and logistic support to bring Siquijor to full economic prosperity. (RAC/PIA-Siquijor)
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Practicable measures pushed on rice conservation in Siquijor
SIQUIJOR, May 21 (PIA)---Amid reports on the looming rice crisis in the country, the Department of Agriculture is pushing some practicable measures in the campaign against rice wastage in the province of Siquijor.
The agriculture department with the Provincial Agricultural Technology Coordinating Office of Siquijor and the Provincial Agriculturist Office and the Municipal Agriculture Offices is presently disseminating information about rice wastage in the province of Siquijor stressing that wasted cooked rice is enough to feed the people in Central Visayas.
In the home-front, the DA stressed that doing way bad eating habits like consuming rice that is more than enough for a meal as much of it ends up in the garbage bins can help save the lives of those unfortunate others who can’t afford to buy even a kilo of rice for the day.
Further, the department is now looking at some appropriate means to cope with rice production losses and seek more to meet food needs, make staple foods more accessible, more affordable, safe and nutritious to the populace, said DA’s Regional Technical Director for Operations, Director Angel C. Enriquez.
In his updates of the department’s major thrusts and programs under the new administration, DA Regional Rice Program Coordinator Dr. Fabio G. Enriquez presented the Agri-Pinoy Strategic Framework with emphasis on rice production and development.
Former Regional Rice Program Coordinator, Mr. Jorge A. Paculba also presented an update on the rice situation in the province.
Based on 2010 food sufficiency index in the province, Paculba said rice is the staple food of the Siquijodnons indicating per capita consumption of 96.096 kilograms against corn with per capita consumption of 54.6 kilograms.
He said that rice production remains the biggest agricultural efforts of the Siquijodnon farmers considering that only 4.9 percent out of the total agricultural areas planted in two cropping seasons of 2010.
Rice sufficiency level for the municipalities are Siquijor (capital town) marked eight percent, San Juan has five percent, Maria noted high with 33 percent, Lazi, 31 percent, Larena has 30 percent and Enrique Villanueva with the lowest level of three percent. (Rizalie A. Calibo/PIA-Siquijor with reports from Reynan Ansing)
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DTI trains local weavers for quality “Bayong”
During the DTI’s first of the series of training at San Juan town recently, Provincial Director Nimfa Virtucio said, the training will expose local weavers to designs with high market demand and acceptance which is what Siquijor needs for tourism citing that tourists, particularly Europeans are the main market of Siquijor.
Most of the tourists, she said, prefer to use “Bayong” because of its durability and acceptability or relevance to the present call of times for environmental protection.
Sixteen local weavers were trained for raw materials preparation, basic weaving, double weaving, dyeing and basic designs utilizing available materials like seashells, coco shells, hard seeds and wood beads.
Virtucio said the training is also a good opportunity for the weavers to learn further and be able to meet potential volume orders thus generate additional income.
The first training was facilitated by Dr. Stella F. Lesama, the President of Sidlakang Negros Producers Association and the current vice chair of the Provincial Micro Small and Medium EnterpriseDevelopment Council (MSMEDC) of the province.
She is also the owner-manager of Orient Gifts, Lezama Agri Ventures and San Miguel Weaving Center in Dumaguete City.
The training is supported by the local government of San Juan.
Training output are now available at the local Pasalubong Centers and some of the resorts in the province.
Prices range from P20 toP200 depending on the size and the accessories being used. (Rizalie A. Calibo/PIA-Siquijor with reports from Inacher A. Abatayo)
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DOLE Jobs Fit 2020 seen to solve job mismatch
In a press release earlier, DOLE-Siquijor Information Officer Jerome Alam echoed that the project aims to identify within the next ten years the preferred skills in priority industries that must be produced per region up to year 2020.
He said the project puts up together a robustly flexible road map that would guide students and new entrants to the labor force in identifying college and technical-vocational courses that they may pursue to be able to land in available industry jobs or to engage in self-employment undertakings after graduation.
The Jobs Fit road map will also be the basis for education sector and other concerned stakeholders in providing training educational scholarships and in developing appropriate curricula and career materials, he said.
He also said that DOLE Jobs Fit vision for 2020 encourages students to properly plan for their college degree and choose their career with their parents or other persons responsible for their education.
He said the vision also gives emphasis on prioritizing blue collar instead of the traditional white collar jobs, pointing out the need for skilled workers here and abroad and the possibility for self-employment through small and medium enterprises.
To encourage participation to the program, Alam also said that their office has conducted a series of career guidance seminars in which more than 800 students in 14 schools provincewide participated.
Their office is also closely collaborating with the Public Employment Service Office (PESO) in each municipality with the support of the local government units (LGUs) in its conduct of seminars and orientation briefing.
This is to prepare and enlighten students in their choices for proper, feasible and employable courses. (Rizalie A. Calibo with reports from Inacher A. Abatayo)
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New G-W@PS kiosk at Siquijor realizes gov’’t mission, says GSIS VP
By Rizalie A. Calibo
By Rizalie A. Calibo
SIQUIJOR, May 21 (PIA)---The new Government Service Insurance System(GSIS)Wireless Automated Processing System (GW@APS) Kiosk that was turned-over to the provincial government of Siquijor Thursday (May 19) hopes to realize the mission of the new administration to be more responsive to the needs of the members in Siquijor as she admitted the difficulties they had to experience in transacting with GSIS without the kiosk.
This was said by GSIS Vice-President for Visayas and Mindanao Salvacion Mate, during the launching at the Provincial Capitol which she said is is one of the 575 new kiosks deployed all throughout the country in Provincial Capitols, City Halls and some in division offices of the Department of Education (DepEd), apart from the 275 deployed during the last administration.
This was said by GSIS Vice-President for Visayas and Mindanao Salvacion Mate, during the launching at the Provincial Capitol which she said is is one of the 575 new kiosks deployed all throughout the country in Provincial Capitols, City Halls and some in division offices of the Department of Education (DepEd), apart from the 275 deployed during the last administration.
With the kiosks, Mate said, the GSIS was able to process 39,000 claims in 2009 and more than 100,000 in 2010 because of the improvement of the system.
GSIS members in Siquijor province can now apply for loans, check their membership and loan accounts through the G-W@PS kiosk.
Following the unveiling of kiosk during the turn-over, a demo on activation and loan availment with Provincial Governor Orlando A. Fua Jr., Vice Governor Andre Jesu E. Cortes and Lazi Vice Mayor D. Monte is done.
GSIS Update and Pre-retirement Seminar also followed at the Siquijor State College on May 20, 2011. RACalibo/PIA-Siquijor)
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