While the Palace made the pronouncement, the Social Security System (SSS), Government Service Insurance System (GSIS), and Pag-IBIG Home Development Mutual Fund have outlined measures to ease the burden on pensioners and contributors.
“Iyan ang aaralin pero sa ngayon ay mayroon nang ginagawa ang SSS, GSIS, at Pag-IBIG para sa ating mga kababayan dahil nga sa nangyayaring gulo sa Middle East, (That will be studied, but for now, the SSS, GSIS, and Pag-IBIG are already taking action for our fellow citizens because of the ongoing conflict in the Middle East)," Palace Press Officer and Communications Undersecretary Claire Castro said when asked about the proposal to suspend the pension premium.
For SSS, there is about P60 billion in financial assistance and benefits for its members, pensioners, and employers for loan programs and early implementation of the 2026 pension increase.
These are in addition to loan penalty condonation and contribution delinquency relief, Castro said.
The GSIS, for its part, is implementing the Balik Ginhawa Program, which involves a three-month loan moratorium.
"Ire-refund muna para magamit ng ating mga kababayan at babayaran nila ito nang walang interest. At sa ngayon ay mayroon nang 297,162 out of 353,667 applications na nag-qualify na para dito sa Balik Ginhawa Program, (They will be refunded first so our fellow citizens can use the funds, and they will repay it without interest. As of now, 297,162 out of 353,667 applications have already qualified for the Balik Ginhawa Program)," Castro said.
As to Pag-IBIG, the Palace official said the fund announced a special benefits package for repatriated overseas Filipino workers (OFWs) that could be withdrawn of up to 100 percent of Pag-IBIG regular savings and Modified Pag-IBIG 2 Savings before maturity.
Members could also avail themselves of a three-month moratorium on their housing loan payments without interest and penalties, she noted.