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A group of concerned citizens in Dipaculao town in the province of Aurora has filed a two-page administrative complaint before the Office of the Ombudsman against the vice mayor of the municipality ov

11/01/2009

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The Government Service Insurance System (GSIS) has provided service to 331 government vehicles with “Acts of God” (AoG) cover under its comprehensive motor vehicle insurance program dubbed as “Auto Shield” during the recent onslaught of typhoons “Ondoy” and “Pepeng.”

For the areas under the jurisdiction of the GSIS Head Office in Pasay City, the pension fund was able to service two vehicles in Antipolo City; 53 in Bulacan province; three in Cainta town; two in Cavite province; two in Laguna province; 27 in Makati City, eight in Mandaluyong City; 65 in Manila; nine in Marikina City; three in Morong town, Bataan province; seven in Muntinlupa City; 23 in Pasay City; two in Parañaque City; 28 in Pasig City; 51 in Quezon City; three in San Juan City; five in Taguig City; five in Taytay town, Rizal province; and 15 in Valenzuela City.

For the areas covered by the GSIS branches, the System provided service to four vehicles in Batangas, three in Dagupan City, Pangasinan province, four in La Union province, two in Laguna, one in Legazpi City, Albay province, two in Pampanga province, one in Tarlac province, and one in Tuguegarao City, Cagayan province.

The Auto Shield policy includes an AoG cover, which means that events like flood, lightning or typhoon are included for a very small premium. All government vehicles that are covered for “own damage” are automatically covered under AoG.

“We want our clients to have a total worry-free driving experience. What we have done through Auto Shield is offer a complete solution where all they need to worry about now is traffic. Even way before Ondoy and Pepeng wrought damage to most parts of Luzon, Auto Shield already has an Acts of God cover, ahead of everybody else,” GSIS President and General Manager Winston Garcia said.

The Auto Shield program was conceived to provide comprehensive coverage for private and commercial vehicles owned, leased or loaned by active GSIS members and their immediate relatives. Its comprehensive coverage provides protection of the insured’s vehicle against loss or damage due to accident and natural calamity. More importantly, the program offers one of the lowest annual premium rates in the market today.

For instance, for an insurance coverage of P846,000 – which already includes loss/own damage cover, Comprehensive Third Party Liability, property damage cover, excess bodily cover, liability to insured passenger cover, and unnamed driver cover – the policyholder only needs to pay an annual premium of P9,508 under the program’s enhanced rate package.

All active GSIS members as well as their legitimate spouse, legitimate children, parents including GSIS retirees and pensioners are qualified to avail of the Auto Shield program. The coverage also extends to the siblings of all active GSIS members and children of single parents and relatives of members under their guardianship

Among the vehicles covered by Auto Shield include motor vehicles owned, leased or loaned and registered under the name of the qualified person. Motor vehicles of up to 15 years old may be insurable, subject to inspection.

Commercial vehicles and public utility vehicles of up to 10 years old may also be covered. For motorcycles and tricycles, the age limit is only up to 5 years old to be eligible for coverage.

In addition, Auto Shield offers a free 24-hour vehicle assistance available for practically any type of incidents on the road.

The round-the-clock vehicle assistance program covers incidence of a vehicular breakdown, theft and even fire. Among the free services the GSIS offers under this program include towing services, on-site emergency repairs and up to three non-accident related assistance, like assistance for those who left their keys inside a locked car, among others.

“With Auto Shield, not only do our clients get one of the most affordable vehicle insurance cover in the market, but also a road assistance program that practically never sleeps,” Garcia said.

Aside from offering the lowest premium in the market and having a wide area of coverage, Auto Shield also offers a multitude of other features, including a 20-percent owner’s discount to GSIS members and the absence of any documentary stamp tax and local government tax.