GSIS employees warmly welcome back former chief, 4 execs after Ombudsman lifts suspension

GSIS President and General Manager Wick Veloso returned to a rousing welcome from employees who cheered, applauded, and embraced him, along with four other executives, during the agency’s flag-raising ceremony on September 23. Some staff were visibly emotional, underscoring the solidarity of the GSIS family.

The homecoming came after the Office of the Ombudsman lifted the preventive suspension order it issued in July against Veloso, Executive Vice President Jason Teng, VP Abigail Cruz-Francisco, Manager Alfredo Pablo, and Officer Jaime Leon Warren, allowing them to fully resume their duties. In his speech, Veloso expressed deep gratitude for the support of GSIS employees during their 60-day absence.

“It fills my heart with joy to finally stand before you again in our flag-raising ceremony,” Veloso said. “For the past sixty days, I deeply missed this moment of unity with all of you as we gather under our flag, a symbol of our duty and our service to the nation.”

He reaffirmed GSIS’s prudent management of members’ funds, stressing that “investing is never a game of chance but about calculated risks supported by research and professional judgment.”

Under his leadership, the fund grew by more than 22 percent, from ₱1.54 trillion in 2022 to ₱1.88 trillion as of June 2025. For the first half of 2025 alone, GSIS earned ₱172.7 billion, with net income reaching ₱77 billion, over 30 percent higher year-on-year.

Veloso also thanked EVP Juliet Bautista for holding the fort as Officer in Charge while they were away. He called on all employees to rise above challenges, focus on growth, and work together to transform GSIS into a world-class pension institution.

“Kapit-bisig, basta sama-sama, kayang-kaya para sa Bagong Pilipinas! Mabuhay ang GSIS!” Veloso declared to close his speech.