GSIS credits P7.3B in loan amortization refunds to 500K members, pensioners

The Government Service Insurance System (GSIS) has credited about P7.3 billion in loan amortization refunds to over half a million members and pensioners.

In a statement on Tuesday, the GSIS said “nearly nine out of 10” members and pensioners who applied for loan amortization refunds under the GSIS Balik Ginhawa program received their refund.

The pension fund said it received a total of 598,420 applications, of which 525,447 applications were confirmed eligible and processed.

Under the Balik Ginhawa program, the GSIS refunds the equivalent of up to three months of eligible loan amortizations – covering December 2025, January 2026, and February 2026 – in a single lump-sum credit. 

The program is in support of the government’s Unified Package for Livelihoods, Industry, Food, and Transport (UPLIFT), the whole-of-government response activated by President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. to cushion the impact of rising living costs on Filipino workers and their families.

GSIS president and general manager Jose Arnulfo “Wick” Veloso said the program is GSIS’s contribution to the government’s coordinated relief effort for government employees and pensioners.

Availment of the loan amortization refunds is voluntary. Applications are accepted through the GSIS Touch mobile app until October 31, 2026.

To qualify, borrowers must have no arrears at the time of filing, meaning their loan amortizations must be updated when they apply for the refund. 

The pension fund said the GSIS Touch app displays each member’s eligibility status and refundable amount before an application is submitted. 

“Members whose accounts do not meet eligibility criteria are notified through the app. Approved refunds are credited within three working days,” it said. — JMA, GMA News