INTRODUCTION
Today, I approve Republic Act 8291 which is the New GSIS Charter. It revises Presidential Decree No. 1146, Series of 1977, and dramatically expands the existing social security benefits of government workers and authorizes new benefit packages for GSIS members.

On behalf of the public work force of some 1.4 million strong, I thank the leaders and members of both houses of Congress for the enactment of this all-important law. Today’s signing coincides with the observance of the 60th founding anniversary of the GSIS and thereby signals a new era of service by our government workers, even as we gear them to fulfill the tasks and challenges of the 21st century.
NEW SOCIAL SECURITY BENEFITS
Under this new charter, the 150,000 casual, temporary and contractual employees in the employ of government who have long clamored for social security coverage will finally get such benefits. Unemployment and separation programs are now provided and availment of disability and sickness income has been relaxed.

Monthly pension payments will be increased from the maximum pension ceiling of p2,700 a month established 20 years ago to initially p9,000 a month for employees who retire after today.

We therefore expect that this new law will result in increased productivity, enhanced teamwork, higher morale and a better quality of life for our government workers and their families.

For all these, let me reiterate our appreciation to senate president Ernesto Maceda and house speaker Jose de Venecia and their colleagues — the authors, sponsors and supporters in both chambers for making all these possible.
IMPROVING WORKERS’ WELFARE
You may recall, that during our celebration of Labor Day, only 30 days ago, i also approved Republic Act No. 8282 which strengthened the Social Security System (SSS) and made it more responsive to the needs of its growing number of members.

The new SSS law brings more benefits and broader coverage to private workers, including such groups as self-employed persons, farmers, fisherfolk, household helpers and managers, and overseas workers.

The improvement of our economy has translated into significant gains for labor and employment, especially for rank-and-file workers and wage earners.

Unemployment fell to 8.5% in 1996, the lowest since 1991. For the first quarter of 1997, the national unemployment rate declined to 7.7%. Wage and salary workers grew by 6.6%, increasing from 12.2 million to almost 12.9 million. In fact, almost 98% of the total increment in employment during the period was among the wage and salary workers.

Complementing gains in full-time employment, 19 wage orders and implementing rules were issued in 1996 to protect workers’ incomes. Together with 13 other wage-related issuances, these directly benefitted 1.5 million workers and, indirectly, about 4 million workers in the private sector.
A HIGH GOVERNMENT PRIORITY
One of the Ramos administration’s high priorities is to ensure that workers and their families have sufficient incomes to meet their needs. In addition to increasing wages and salaries, non-wage measures have been adopted to supplement the net take-home pay of workers and other benefits that they rightfully deserve.

Over the years, we have undertaken a number of initiatives along this line. We have implemented a number of empowerment programs such as the Workers Organization and Development Program (WODP) for organized labor.

We have authorized loans from the SSS to finance livelihood and training projects of cooperatives, unions and federations.

We have established a GATT (General Agreement on Tariffs and Trade) assistance fund to help workers and employers cope adequately in the more competitive global regime. The Employees Compensation Commission (ECC) now allocates funds for improving employees’ compensation schemes and for funding related health and rehabilitation programs.

Recent new laws have created a Technical Education and Skills Development Authority (TESDA) and a Commission on Higher Education (CHED) to provide for a more responsive and skilled workforce with the capacity to serve the changing requirements of the domestic market and the global economy as well.

The fair and speedy administration of labor justice has also been partly addressed through the issuance of Executive Order No. 26, dated October 7, 1992 which prescribes deadlines, on pain of administrative sanctions, within which cases should be resolved.

We have also allowed the participation of representatives from public sector unions in the Public Sector Labor-Management Council (PSLMC) to further empower government workers.

All these, and more, have been and are being undertaken to further enhance the performance of all our workers as the nation braces itself for the more demanding challenges of the new millennium.
WORKERS’ SUPPORT: VITAL TO POLE-VAULTING STRATEGY
Over the past five years, we Filipinos have put our house in order and cleared our path to economic growth and social development. We have raised the Philippines to the threshold of newly-industrializing country (NIC) status. Now we can begin the process of building a modern and better home for our children and our children’s children.

This we will do by sustaining the momentum of reform and speeding up the pace of our fight against poverty. In the process, we are enabled to catch up with our vigorous neighbors and perhaps surpass some of them.

The steady support and strong determination to excel on the part of our workers, both in government and in private sectors, are therefore vital to our ambition to pole-vault into the 21st century as a capable and competitive people.

On this fortuitous occasion of your 60th anniversary, let me also felicitate and commend the GSIS for pushing for the revision of the GSIS law. Indeed, the economic demands of the times and the changed work environment had far outpaced the benefits that the GSIS could legally grant under the old laws. With this new GSIS charter in place, government workers will be assured of adequate social security benefits in the future.

The new GSIS and SSS laws have change the landscape of social security in our land, and augur well for the attainment of our shared vision of “Philippines 2000!!!.”

This is one legacy which we, your leaders, are proud to offer to our nation.

Congratulations to the GSIS on its 60th anniversary. Continue the good work, and go-go-go!!

Maraming salamat at mabuhay tayong lahat!