Government Service Insurance System wins 2 accolades at GovMedia Conference & Awards 2025
GSIS shone a spotlight on women's empowerment and made homeownership more accessible.
The Government Service Insurance System (GSIS) emerged victorious at the GovMedia Conference & Awards 2025, earning recognition in the Philippines Social Equity and Inclusion Initiative of the Year - Pension and Philippines Public Sector Initiative of the Year - Housing categories.
These accolades are in recognition of the government-owned and controlled corporation’s “Hapag” short film, as well as its Lease with Option to Buy (LWOB) Program.
‘Hapag’
The GSIS, through its Gender and Development (GAD) Committee and Corporate Communications Office (CCO), released a short film entitled “Hapag (Table)” in 2024. This initiative highlights the challenges women face in a society that often confines them to traditional roles as well as the courage it takes to break free.
The film follows the story of Amanda, a woman who grew up believing she had to be quiet, compliant, and focussed on household duties—the mould the society created for her. But, being the dreamer that she is, Amanda wanted to be more and her story echoes through generations. Her daughter, Gab, then faces similar challenges in the workplace, where gender bias still poses a struggle. “Hapag” shows how deeply rooted expectations still shape women’s lives and how each generation continues the fight for equality.
“Hapag” possesses innovative storytelling that carefully weaves flashbacks and emotional scenes. More than telling a story, the film starts a conversation.
The premiere was followed by a Talk Back session where the audience and filmmakers expounded on the film’s deeper message. The event also featured women who are in traditionally male-dominated roles, with their struggles as well as triumphs being highlighted.
This drew positive responses from GSIS employees, with many of them seeing their own experiences reflected in the characters. Some even shared personal stories during the launch. The film helped the organisation reflect on how far it has come—and how much more it can do to promote gender equality.
Notably, most GSIS executives are women, and the organisation continues to make an environment where career advancement is based on competence and dedication, not on gender.
As this year’s campaign turned out to be a success, GSIS plans to expand its advocacy in 2025. The expansion, which will be headed by the GAD Committee, will include creating safe spaces for women and also for men to express vulnerability and seek support.
Lease with Option to Buy Programme
“Home ownership is more than just shelter; it is a basic human right, and even more fundamental than the right to vote,” said GSIS President and General Manager Jose Arnulfo Veloso during the launch of its Lease with Option to Buy Program.
As it continues to open doors for thousands of Filipinos, GSIS introduced the LWOB Program to make homeownership more affordable and within reach.
With the LWOB Program, individuals with a regular income can rent GSIS housing units with the priority to purchase them at any point during the lease. It combines flexible payment options, secure tenancy, and future ownership. This process makes it a smart and compassionate approach to addressing the housing needs of Filipinos, especially government employees in lower salary grades.
As housing prices become increasingly out of reach for many, the LWOB Program provides a simple path to owning a home. It does away with the large down payments and difficult financing terms and offers instead an easier and step-by-step journey to homeownership.
The programme has already made a tangible impact, with over 3,360 households benefitting from it as of December 2024. Many of these are choosing to renew their lease contracts as they prepare to purchase their homes, which demonstrates a strong sense of trust and hope amongst participants.
But LWOB doesn’t just benefit individuals. It also helps sustain GSIS’s operations. To date, the program has generated PHP428m in leasing and sales revenue and PHP3b total value of real estate under lease contract. This creates a self-sustaining model that supports financial stability and social impact.
The LWOB Programme is also GSIS’s contribution to the government’s Pambansang Pabahay Para sa Pilipino Program (4Ps), the national flagship housing initiative aimed at solving the country’s housing backlog.
LWOB stands out because it is committed to continuous improvement. GSIS actively listens to feedback from its stakeholders, responding to challenges to efficiently streamline processes, remove obstacles, and make the entire experience simpler.
The housing landscape in the Philippines is constantly evolving, and GSIS is evolving with it. As it journeys toward the future, the LWOB Programme remains progressive and focussed on one core mission: to give every Filipino the chance to own a home.
GovMedia Conference & Awards gives recognition to the trends and best practices that transform the public sector in the Asia Pacific. The awards programme promotes excellence and provides a platform for exemplary government initiatives.
The Gov Media Awards is presented by Gov Media Magazine. To view the full list of winners, click here. If you want to join the 2026 awards programme and be recognised for your organisation's government projects and initiatives, please contact Jane Patiag at [email protected].
