A lawmaker is championing a legislative proposal that aims to provide greater financial security for the surviving spouses of government pensioners by significantly increasing their monthly benefits.
Equalizing Protection for Public Sector Families
SSS-GSIS Pensyonado Party-list Representative Rolando Macasaet is leading the push for House Bill No. 7009, filed on December 22. The measure seeks to amend the Government Service Insurance System (GSIS) Act of 1997 (Republic Act 8291). Its core provision is to raise the survivorship pension for qualified spouses from the current rate of 50 percent to 100 percent of the deceased member's basic monthly pension.
A survivorship pension is a crucial monthly benefit provided to the legal spouse after a GSIS member or pensioner passes away, designed to replace the lost income. Macasaet highlighted a significant disparity in the current system. "Under the Social Security System (SSS), survivorship pensions are already granted at 100 percent. There is no reason why GSIS pensioners' families should receive less protection than their counterparts in the private sector," he stated.
A Matter of Fairness and Dignity
The congressman framed the bill as an issue of fundamental equity and compassion. "House Bill 7009 is about fairness, compassion, and dignity," Macasaet emphasized. The legislation acknowledges the heightened financial vulnerability that surviving spouses often face, a situation exacerbated by rising inflation and the increasing cost of basic goods and services.
Macasaet argued that the existing survivorship benefit, though helpful, has become inadequate to ensure a stable and dignified quality of life for beneficiaries. The proposed increase is seen as a necessary adjustment to reflect modern economic realities and the principle of pension continuity.
Aligning Benefits and Easing Burdens
"Under HB 7009, survivorship benefits will more accurately reflect the principle of pension continuity," Macasaet explained. "By providing the full basic monthly pension, the measure aims to ease the economic burden on grieving families and affirm the State's commitment to social protection."
If passed into law, the amendment would standardize the level of survivorship support between the public sector GSIS and the private sector SSS, ensuring that families of government workers receive equivalent financial safeguards during a difficult period of loss.
