The Government Service Insurance System: Public or Private?

Abstract

This study is about the Government Service Insurance System (GSIS). This study tries to determine the objectives of the GSIS, the GOCC mandated by the Philippine constitution to safeguard the interest and benefit of the public workers. It also aims to see its current status and efficiency of the GSIS, whether it is continuing serving those employees in need or just serving the GSIS employees. In support to the previous claim, this study also wants to discuss the searing issues attacking the GSIS. It will basically: go into detail of several problems of the GSIS that the people and government employees found out in their system. Through these various cases questioning the efficiency of the GSIS, the research aims to find out if the GSIS is still on the side of the public sector or more of on the side of the private sector. Through the exploration of the controversies of the GSIS and with the use of Joseph Stiglitz’s 10-point framework, the paper aims to analyze whether the GSIS is leaning towards the side of the public sector or the private sector. Leaning to the public sector may mean that the GSIS serves the workers or, in Marxist terms, the proletariat. On the other hand, leaning to the private sector may mean that the GSIS is serving the ruling class or the bourgeoisie. All of these are in consideration of the Marxist way of understanding — that the state is the tool of the ruling class to further their interests.