The Alliance of Concerned Teachers – Negros Island Region Union (ACT-NIR Union) has formally filed a letter and position paper before the Bacolod branch the Government Service Insurance System (GSIS) in last October 17 to raise the grievances of teachers affected by the disapproval of their GFAL-Education Loan (GFAL-EL) reapplications.

GFAL-EL is a type of loan offered by the GSIS to qualified members based on a “study now, pay later” scheme.

“Ang pag-disapprove sang mga reapplicants unfair sa mga teacher-beneficiary. Instead nga makabulig ang GFAL-EL kuntani, naghahatag siya sang dugang nga burden sa mga teacher-beneficiary kag na-defeat ang purpose sang study-now-pay-later,” said ACT-NIR Union Interim President Josenito Makilan.

The filing came after a consultation with teachers whose reapplications for the GFAL-EL were recently disapproved. The affected teachers said the loan rejection disrupted the education of their children and forced them to incur additional debt to pay school fees.

The union’s position paper emphasized that the teachers had complied with all requirements, including the minimum net take-home pay of Php5,000 monthly.

It questioned the inconsistent implementation of the approval guidelines, noting that some applications with similar conditions were approved while others were not.

“Teachers were shocked to receive disapproval notices in the middle of the semester. For many, this means choosing between paying debts or sending their children to school,” Makilan said.

The union warned that if the disapprovals become final, affected teachers could face heavier debt burdens, as repayment of their existing loans may start immediately despite the original “study-now-pay-later” provision.

ACT-NIR Union urged the GSIS to clarify its modified approval guidelines and restore accessibility to the program.

“Teachers and their children should be able to access quality education. Programs such as GFAL-EL must ease, not worsen, the economic hardship of educators,” Makilan said.

According to ACT-NIR Union, teachers across Bacolod and Negros Island are standing together to demand “clarification and redress” from the GSIS for what they described as an “unjust policy change” that endangers both teachers’ welfare and their children’s right to education.

ACT NIR on calls for ouster of GSIS President

Meanwhile, ACT-NIR Union interim secretary general in Negros Island Mary Grace Abellar expressed full support for the call to oust GSIS President and General Manager Wick Veloso following reported losses of Php8.8 billion and a controversial Php1.45-billion investment in gambling-related firms.

“Mga kabalan kag ang ila polisiya makahugakom lang gid sang ginansya. Dapat pasabton si Veloso kag ang iban pa nga mga imbolbado sa ini nga pagpanglimbong sa mga miyembro-kontributor sang GSIS,” Abellar said.

She also added: “Gina-ipit ang mga manunudlo sa polisiya sa pagbayad while pagusto sila gasto sang kwarta kag ginapamyerde lang sa sugal.”

Earlier, ACT Philippines National Chairperson Ruby Bernardo backed the move of GSIS trustees to demand Veloso’s resignation. “The GSIS trustees are absolutely correct in demanding Veloso’s resignation. His continued stay in office is an outright insult to all government employees, including public school teachers, whose retirement security depends on the sound management of GSIS funds,” Bernardo said.

Bernardo stressed that teachers, who form the largest group of GSIS members, are the most affected. “Public school teachers make up the biggest share of GSIS members. Nearly a million educators regularly contribute a portion of their meager salaries to this fund, hoping it will secure their future after decades of service. But under Veloso’s watch, billions of our pesos have been squandered,” she said.