INVESTING in Filipinos proved very rewarding for the Government Service Insurance System (GSIS) as it earned a whopping P80 billion in income for the first 10 months of 2023.

The figure represents an increase of 117% from the P37 billion generated by GSIS in the same period last year, a report made by the state pension fund indicated.

Owing to this, the GSIS vowed to continue aligning its investments with the country’s “growth story” focusing on critical sectors like real estate, infrastructure, food, energy, and mining.

By the end of the first nine months of the year, the total investment in these domestic sectors amounted to P1.3 trillion, representing an 11% growth.

Nevertheless, global investments witnessed a 5% increase at P185 billion.

According to GSIS President and General Manager Wick Veloso, the “GSIS remains committed to support the four key sectors known as the ‘4Ps’: Pabahay (housing), Power (energy), Pagkain (food), and Pagamot (healthcare).

“These sectors are fundamental to the government’s socio-economic agenda. Investing in them equates to a direct investment in the welfare and future of our nation and the Filipino.”

GSIS’s improved profitability stemmed from strong revenues mainly in income from financial assets, which surged to Php29 billion, or a 344% increase year on year.

In addition, income from investment property climbed by 142% to P8 billion from the revaluation gains of approximately 12,000 accounts appraised as of October this year.

Income derived from general insurance activities expanded by 7%, amounting to P6.2 billion as a result of an active marketing drive.

Social insurance premiums grew by 8% to P10 billion arising from increased membership and salary adjustments.

Cutting expenses was also helpful to raise the gains of the agency. “We have maintained prudence in our expenses, which totaled P8.2 billion, marking an 8% reduction compared to the budget set for October 2023,” Veloso pointed out.

In fact, during the first 10 months of 2023, the pension fund’s expense loading was at 3.4%, way below the 12% Charter limit.

As of end-October 2023, the total assets of the GSIS stood at P1.6 trillion, posting a 4.4% increase from last year.

The GSIS has also extended its fund life to 35 years (until 2058), an increase of five years from the last assessment in 2021.

“A longer fund life enables us to fulfill our responsibility of delivering benefits to our members and retirees on time. As a financial institution, our primary focus is to increase the contributions of our members by seizing strategic investment opportunities,” Veloso explained

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