Retirement Benefits

 Dear insansapinas,

Nang umuwi ako noong Febrero sa Pilipinas, nagulat ako nang malaman kong ang aking dating mga faculty staff ay mayroon ng retirement benefits. Wala pa silang 60 o 50 man lang. Yon pala ay inavail nila ang early retirement benefits ng GSIS. Karamihan sa kanila nagrereklamo dahil malaki ang bawas ng kanilang benefits kasi binawas ang loan na kinuha nila kahit bayad na ito. Para hindi na lang mamatay sa high blood, pinagtiyagaan na nilang tanggapin.


Covered ako ng GSIS at SSS dahil kahit government employee ako ay nagtuturo rin ako sa private universities. Akala ko walang problema ang SSS, mas malaki pala. Ngayon alam ko na ang mga problema sakaling mag-aapply ako ng mga benefits na ito.

Ang mga pating  at siyokoy na mga yan, pera muna ipinagkakait pa saiyo.

Nang mamatay ang aking ama noon, may nakuha kami sa SSS na siyang pinambili namin ng jeep na pamasada. Baka naman ang makuha ko ay di pa pwedeng pambili ng bisikleta.

Migrant retirees have problems with SSS and GSIS pensions

CALIFORNIA, United States—An immigrant residing in California recently contacted our office to express her disgust over her inability to obtain her retirement benefits from the Social Security System. Her letter reads:

“I have been a registered contributing member of the SSS since July 1966. In January 1990, I retired early from my job at the United States facility in Subic Bay to migrate to the US. Now that I’m old, I asked my son to apply for my retirement benefits, but the SSS branch in Olongapo City is giving us a hard time. They even said my name was no longer in their system.
“I’m only claiming what is duly mine. Any amount will be very helpful for my family and relatives in the Philippines. And it is my plan to spend my remaining years in our homeland. What should I do?”
The same grievance was also expressed by the daughter of a long-time US immigrant for GSIS benefits. She said her 80-year-old mother went back to the Philippines to personally attend to her application for retirement. She was asked to go to Manila just to find out that her benefits were reportedly being paid to a “third party” unrelated to her. Mrs. T returned to the US frustrated.
Further inquiries with the Philippine consulate office revealed that Mrs. T was reported as a deceased claimant and so an unscrupulous individual had taken her survivor’s benefits.