GSIS issues guidelines on Muslim members’ survivorship benefits

MANILA,Philippines —The Government Service Insurance System (GSIS) has issued guidelines on how to  process the survivorship claims of its Muslim members and pensioners.

The state pension fund created Policy and Procedural Guidelines (PPG) No. 334-19 in recognition of the Muslim culture, GSIS chairman and acting president Rolando Macasaet said over the weekend.

Macasaet said the eligibility and extent of entitlement of the beneficiaries of Muslim members and pensioners to survivorship claims were previously based on the Civil Code of the Philippines.

Presidential Decree No. 1083 or the Code of Muslim Personal Laws mandates the state to consider Muslim customs, traditions, beliefs and interests in formulating and implementing policies.

The GSIS said the PPG recognizes that Muslims are allowed by law to have up to four wives at a time. It also provides policies on the processing and distribution of survivorship benefits, including cash payment and survivorship pension.

Under the new rules, the survivorship benefit of a deceased Muslim member or pensioner will be paid starting from primary to secondary beneficiaries and to legal heirs.

Primary beneficiaries include surviving wives and husband of a deceased male and female Muslim members, respectively.

“They also include five youngest minor dependent children or those who are of major age, but with mental or physical incapacity that was acquired prior to reaching the age of majority,” the GSIS said.

Secondary beneficiaries are dependent parents and legitimate descendants, subject to restrictions on dependent children.

Secondary beneficiaries are entitled to the benefits if there are no primary beneficiaries, the GSIS said.

In the absence of both primary and secondary beneficiaries, the legal heirs are entitled to the benefits.

The survivorship benefits would be divided equally among the legal wives.