GSIS staff assist members and pensioners at the GSIS 360° hub inside the GSIS Cebu City branch as they line up for the Balik Ginhawa Loan Moratorium Through Refund program. (Photo from GSIS Cebu PIO)
CEBU CITY, Cebu — With a dedicated service hub set up to guide its beneficiaries, the Government Service Insurance System (GSIS) begun crediting refunds since Saturday, April 15, to qualified members and pensioners in Central Visayas under its Balik Ginhawa Loan Moratorium Through Refund program.
According to GSIS Region VII staff officer Noreen Mayol, the program’s credit refunding is part of the nationwide release of over ₱19 billion set to benefit 1.37 million government workers and retirees across the country.
Mayol disclosed that unlike a traditional loan moratorium that suspends payments, Balik Ginhawa keeps regular deductions running while returning the equivalent of three months of amortizations in a single lump sum that covers payments made from December 2025 to February 2026.
“The effect is a three-month extension of the loan term rather than a pause in repayment. The program is designed to deliver immediate financial relief without disrupting the regular repayment structure,” she pointed out.
“This is a modified loan moratorium program implemented by GSIS to give a little relief to our members and pensioners, where GSIS will refund the amount of three months of loan repayments—more specifically, payments received or paid from December 2025 to February 2026,” she added.
The staff officer noted that participation in the program is voluntary and to be eligible, a member must simply have an active loan with at least one payment recorded during the covered period with no arrears and no loans that are due and demandable at the time of filing.
“Loan accounts in arrears or classified as due and demandable are excluded. The program covers all GSIS loan types, including Ginhawa Go, Flex and Max, Emergency Loan, Digital Ginhawa Loan, Housing Loan, Policy Loan, Pension Loan, GFAL Educational Loan and the Program for Restructuring and Repayment of Debts,” she explained.
Based on the Balik Ginhawa Refund process, qualified members may receive up to ₱111,000 in a single lump-sum refund, with the actual amount depending on the monthly amortization and loan type. Refunds are credited directly to the member’s UMID, UnionBank, or Land Bank account, whichever is enrolled with GSIS.
To avail the program, Mayol advised members to apply through the GSIS Touch mobile app by going to the member’s record, selecting the member’s request form and tapping the Balik Ginhawa option.
“A step-by-step guide is available on the official GSIS Facebook page. For senior citizens and pensioners who need help filing, the GSIS Region 7 branch office has a 360-degree hub with dedicated staff on hand to assist with applications.
“Members may also schedule an appointment through the Online Buddy feature in the GSIS Touch app or email balikginhawa@gsis.gov.ph. The filing deadline is Oct. 31, 2026,” she announced.
In the meantime, GSIS Region VII information officer Rodolfo Roy De Guzman II claimed that as of April 13, approximately 24 percent of members from the Department of Education (DepEd) and local government units (LGUs) in the region have already availed the program even as GSIS continue to encourage eligible members to file before the deadline. (With reports from PIA)