STATE pension fund Government Services Insurance System (GSIS) announced that it will release the pension of its 562,000 pensioners three days ahead of the regular schedule.

“Our pensioners will receive their pension on April 5 instead of the usual e-crediting on the eighth of every month. We know that our retirees need their pension early as most commercial establishments will be closed during the holy week. Semana Santa is one of the most important religious occasions in our country and we want our pensioners to prepare for it without having to worry about their necessities,” GSIS President and General Manager Wick Veloso said.

Veloso also said that GSIS understands the urgency of releasing the pension early especially so that all government agencies, including GSIS, will be closed from the afternoon of April 5 until April 10.

Based on Memorandum Circular No. 16 issued by Malacanang, work in government offices is suspended from 12:00 p.m. onwards on April 5. April 6 (Thursday) and 7 (Friday) are regular holidays. April 10 (Monday) was also declared by the palace as a regular holiday in celebration of the Day of the Valor originally observed every April 9.

GSIS releases pension electronically through the Unified Multi-Purpose ID (UMID) card or temporary electronic card (eCard), which are issued by either the Land Bank of the Philippines or the Union Bank of the Philippines. Pensioners may withdraw the cash from the nearest automated teller (ATM) machine.

During these times GSIS pensioners and members may still use the GSIS Touch Mobile app. Using a smart phone with internet, they may check their records and apply for loans and claims anytime and anywhere. Pensioners may also schedule their Annual Pensioners Information Revalidation (APIR) .

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