The Government Insurance System (GSIS) will release the 2021 Christmas Cash Gift amounting to a total of P3.2 billion to its old-age and disability pensioners starting Dec. 6.
"Amid the challenges we're facing due to the pandemic, we still wish to provide a happy and comfortable Christmas to our retirees," GSIS President and General Manager Rolando Ledesma Macasaet said in Filipino.
"That's why the GSIS Board has ensured early e-crediting of Christmas cash gift on their Unified Multi-Purpose ID (UMID) cards or eCards," Macasaet added.
For pensioners who received over P10,000 in cash gifts in 2020, they will be granted an amount equivalent to a one-month current pension but not exceeding P12,600.
Meanwhile, those who received P10,000 and below in 2020, will receive a cash gift equivalent to a one-month current pension up to a maximum of P10,000.
Those who resumed their regular monthly pensions after Dec. 31, 2020, will be given an amount equivalent to a one-month current pension up to P10,000.
Qualified to receive the cash gift are old-age or disability pensioners who are living as of Nov. 30, 2021, and retired under Republic Act (RA) No. 8291 (GSIS Act of 1997), Presidential Decree No. 1146, and RA 660 (Magic 87).
Those who are on suspended status due to non-compliance with the Annual Pensioners Information Revalidation will be eligible to the cash gift provided they activate their status on or before April 30, 2022.
Survivorship pensioners, dependent pensioners under RA 7699 (Portability Law), and those receiving pro-rata pension are not eligible for the Christmas Gift, while new retirees from 2017 up to 2021 who availed of immediate pension under RA 8291 will receive their first annual Christmas Cash Gift give years after their retirement date.
Retirees who availed of the five-year sum will be entitled to the benefit after the five-year guaranteed period or once they start receiving their monthly pension.
Similarly, members who were separated from service from 2006 to 2021 before reaching the age of 60 and who started receiving their regular monthly pension between 2017 and 2021 will be entitled to the cash gift once they have been regular pensioners for at least five years.