Ninety-five percent of Government Service Insurance System (GSIS) workers have already been vaccinated against coronavirus disease (COVID-19).
In a statement on Monday, Nov. 29, GSIS President and General Manager Rolando Ledesma Macasaet said a total of 4,361 of 4,581 GSIS personnel, including job order personnel, utility workers, and security guards have been inoculated against COVID-19.
"GSIS prioritizes employee safety. That's why we're grateful that state workers are included in priority group A4 of our government's COVID-19 immunization program. We were able to book vaccinations for our employees with local government across the country," Macasaet said in a mix of Filipino and English.
Under the Inter-Agency Task Force for the Management of Emerging Infectious Diseases Resolution No. 117 series of 2021, priority group A4 covers government employees and workers in the private and informal sectors who are physically reporting to their workplace.
Recently, GSIS was recognized by the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) Social Security Association for its strategic communication program amid the pandemic.
The state pension fund also reaped a Silver Anvil and three Quill awards in February and March 2021 for its COVID-19-related communication initiatives.
In September 2020, GSIS was the only government agency in the world to win the prestigious Gold Stevie award for having the "Most Valuable Government Response to the COVID-19 Pandemic."
After the quarantine restrictions have been lifted in 2020, GSIS has been strictly implementing safety protocols to minimize the risk of exposure of its employees, clients, and visitors to COVID-19, including adopting the official government contact tracing app StaySafe.ph and implementing contactless methods of accepting applications for loans, claims, and benefits.
GSIS also carried out the Bayanihan Fund for Frontliners program which provides families of government frontliners an additional P500,000 in insurance benefits on top of their existing death and funeral benefits. It has also adopted Local Isolation and General Treatment Areas for COVID-19 cases (LIGTAS COVID) centers in coordination with the Department of Health and the Department of the Interior and Local Government.
Under the LIGTAS COVID program, the agency grants financial assistance for the purchase of vaccines, patient care equipment, hygiene kits, handwashing facilities, oxygen support and maintenance, medication, and other requirements.