PALACE STUDIES PROPOSAL TO SUSPEND PENSION PREMIUM CONTRIBUTIONS

MALACAÑANG on Wednesday committed to studying proposals to suspend pension premium contributions for members of state-run pension funds, and outlined measures to ease the burden on pensioners and contributors.

“Iyan ang aaralin pero sa ngayon ay mayroon nang ginagawa ang SSS (Social Security System), ang GSIS (Government Service Insurance System) at Pag-IBIG (Home Development Mutual Fund) para sa ating mga kababayan dahil nga sa nangyayaring gulo sa Middle East,” Presidential Communications Office (PCO) Undersecretary and Palace Press Officer Claire Castro said when asked about the proposal to suspend the pension premium.

In a Palace press briefing, Castro likewise outlined current initiatives by the SSS, GSIS, and Pag-IBIG Fund to aid pensioners and members.

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 added.

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,” Castro explained.

As to Pag-IBIG, the Palace official said the fund announced a special benefits package for repatriated OFWs that could be withdrawn of up to 100 percent of Pag-IBIG regular savings and Modified Pag-IBIG 2 Savings before maturity.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.