State-run Government Service Insurance System (GSIS) will soon begin offering credit to help members finance home solar panels as the government steps up efforts to insulate households from volatile global energy prices.

In a statement on Wednesday, March 11, the pension fund for government workers said the Ginhawa Solar Energy Loan (GSEL) allows eligible civil servants to borrow as much as ₱500,000 to install photovoltaic systems.

The GSIS initiative comes as the Marcos administration promotes renewable energy adoption to counter the impact of Middle East tensions on global oil benchmarks, which frequently dictate the trajectory of domestic power rates.

GSIS said the pension fund’s board of trustees has already earmarked ₱12.5 billion for the lending facility and set aside an additional ₱60 million to provide insurance for the installations.

Under the terms of the program, the loans will carry a fixed annual interest rate of five percent with a repayment period of five years. For a maximum loan of ₱500,000, members would face monthly amortizations of ₱10,416.67.

GSIS said it will waive standard service fees for the program to encourage higher participation among its members.

To mitigate risks posed by the country’s vulnerability to natural disasters, GSIS is bundling the credit with three years of free insurance coverage. The policy covers damage from fire, earthquakes, lightning, and typhoons, taking effect once a member provides proof of a completed installation.

“This loan allows our members to invest in solar energy for their homes and generate substantial savings on their electricity bills while paying it back over five years at a competitive interest rate,” Wick Veloso, GSIS president and general manager said.

The program also leverages the country’s existing net-metering framework, which permits residential users to sell surplus electricity back to the national grid. This mechanism can effectively turn a household into a small-scale power producer, further shortening the payback period for the initial solar investment.

GSIS will manage the program through its GSIS Touch mobile application, requiring borrowers to upload digital copies of supplier quotations or installation contracts.

The facility is open to active members with permanent, regular, or non-career status who have at least three years of government service. The pension fund plans to run the program for an initial three-year pilot phase before determining whether to make it a permanent fixture of its lending portfolio.