Republic of the Philippines
HOUSE 0F REPRESENTATIVES
Quezon City, Metro Manila
NINETEENTH CONGRESS
Second Regular Session
HOUsEB|LLNo.9888
aI
RECEIVED
DATE  DEC    0  7
•      TIME   Q,
Introduced by Rep. Jaime R. Fresnedi
EXPLANATORY NOTE
This  bill  seeks  to  amend  Presidential  Decree  No.1146  by  increasing  the  monthly
pension of surviving spouses of deceased pensioners under the Government Service Insurance
System (GSIS). It is geared towards alleviating their plight by addressing the financial burden
they  face  and  their    families  who  are  already  grappling  with  the  loss  of their  primary
breadwiuners.
The GSIS is a social insurance institution that provides a defined benefit scheme under
the law.  It insures its members against the occurrence of certain contingencies in exchange for
their monthly premium contributions.
In recent years,  the Philippines,  like many countries, has  experienced the effects of
inflation, which erodes the purchasing power of the peso.  This inflation has translated into
higher  costs  for  basic  goods  and  services,  impacting  the  financial  stability  of  countless
households. Surviving spouses and their dependent children who are already dealing with the
emotional  toll  of losing  a  loved  one  are  now  being  confronted  with  mounting  financial
pressures, such as increased expenses for food, housing, education, and healthcare. It is critical
to consider the depth of this financial challenge.
The proposal to increase the survivorship pension stems from the fact that the budget
of the family of a GSIS pensioner depends on the full amount of his or her monthly pension
plus the income of the spouse or income from other sources.   Upon a pensioner's death, the
financial capacity of the family of the deceased pensioner is therefore reduced.  Corollary to
this, the financial pie from which the deceased pensioner' s family get the budget for their basic
needs has also become smaller. This situation, more often than not, affects their quality of life.
This legislation aims to alleviate the financial strain of these families. It acknowledges
that the surviving spouses and their families often face a harsh reality of financial instability
and uncertainty and that is the duty of the State to provide them with a safety net during these
challenging times.
Lone District, Muntinlupa City


Republic of the Philippines
HOUSE 0F REPRESHNTATIVES
Quezon City, Metro Manila
NINETEHNTH CONGRESS
Second Regular Session
HousE BILL No.  9688
Introduced by Rep. Jaime R. Fresnedi
AN ACT
INCREASING THE SURVIVORSHIP PENSION 0F SPOUSES COVERED BY THE
GOVERNMENT SERVICE INSURANCE SYSTEM (GSIS), FURTHER AMENDING
FOR   THIS   PURPOSE   PRESIDENTIAL   DECREE   NO.   1146,   AS   AMENDED,
OTHERWISE KNOWN AS ``THE GOVERNMENT SERVICE INSURANCE ACT OF
1997„
Be  it  enacfe.d _by  the  Senate  and  the  House  Of Representatives  Of the  Philippines  in
Congress assembled:
SECTION  1.  Section 21(b)  of Presidential Decree No.1146,  as  amended,  otherwise
known as the "The Government Service Insurance Act of 1997," is hereby futher amended to
read as follows:
"(b) The survivorship pension shall be paid as follows:
(1)   When the dependent spouse is the only survivor, he/she shall receive [the
basic] A survivorship pension EQUIVALENT T0 SEVENTY-FIVE
PERCENT (75%) OF THE BASIC MONTHLY PENSION for life or
until he/she remarries;
(2)   xxx;
(3)   xxx."
SEC. 2.  Sap¢rc}bz./i.fy C/cJ#s'e. -Should any provision of this Act or any part thereof be
declared invalid, the other provisions, so far as they are separable from the invalid ones, shall
remain in force and effect.
SEC. 3. Jtepe¢/J'ng C/c7#se. -All laws, decrees, executive orders, rules and regulations
or parts thereof that are inconsistent with this Act are hereby repealed, amended or modified
accordingly.
SEC. 4.  EJZ7el c/J.w.fy. -This act shall take effect immediately upon its publication in the
Official Gazette or in any newspaper of general circulation.
Approved,
1