CIO Profile: On the road to e-GSIS

With 1.4 million government employees as members, the Government Service Insurance System is among the heaviest users of information and communication technologies (ICT).

For Benjamin Vivas, Jr., senior vice-president for the Information Technology Services Group since October 2000, the continuing challenge lies in making it easy for members to transact with GSIS, "a scenario where they don’t have to come at all to the GSIS office to get the services they are entitled to."

Under the customer-focused approach of GSIS president and general manager Winston Garcia, ITSG recently completed two major projects.

First is the e-GSIS transactional web-based service. It answers queries on member accounts from live databases. "In six to eight months, we will expand this to include online pre-processing of loan applications submitted through the web," said Vivas.

Second is the GSIS InfoText service, which offers information on salary loan balance, maximum salary loan amount, and the status of salary loan application to queries sent by short message service or texting. The service will soon be expanded to cover retirement and other claims.

More in the pipeline

In the pipeline are more priority projects of Garcia, who has received the full support of the GSIS board of trustees for upgrading the government financial institution’s ICT capabilities. This commitment assures ITSG of the logistics required to complete identified projects.

Under the GSIS Smart ID project, each GSIS member will receive an identification card bearing foolproof biometrics to ensure authenticity and security in its use. The Smart ID will initially be used as an ID and ATM card through which all benefit payments shall be credited and withdrawn. Later, it may be used as a national ID, PhilHealth card, Bureau of Internal Revenue card, Commission on Elections ID, and an electronic cash card or e-purse.

Vivas expects the distribution of the Smart ID, which will start before the end of the year, to be completed by the second quarter of 2004.

The integration of systems and databases of 40 branches with the GSIS head office is also underway. "This will enable GSIS to provide fast service anytime, anywhere," said Vivas. At the moment, 17 branches have been integrated, with the rest of the network expected to follow by yearend.

The ITSG is also developing and implementing new systems such as service records, dependents and beneficiaries, pre-need, general insurance, document management and workflow for retirement claims, knowledge management, data warehouse, and financial information.

ICT budget

Vivas is working within the GSIS budget for ICT projects of P744 million over a five-year period. The ITSG outsources about half of the work, choosing service providers based on their technical, operational and financial capabilities. "We normally apply a 60% technical and 40% financial evaluation scheme to select a proponent," he said.

Ultimately, the chief information officer has to lead the development and implementation of all ICT projects to attain the GSIS vision of allowing members to do business wherever they are.

"At home or in their offices, they can use their telephones and internet facilities to transact with GSIS. In banks, they can use the ATMs (automated tellering machines). In key commercial establishments, they can use the kiosks. Anywhere, they can use their cellular phones to reach us," Vivas said.

Even with a captive market, GSIS cannot be complacent. "Our members expect better and better services all the time. We are always being compared with other government and private institutions. So, we continue to provide new products and services and continue to explore and apply new technologies that would ensure the best services and the highest customer satisfaction," he said.