How Many Visits Will It Take?

Mrs. AL called us up yesterday night , and she was so hyper. She said that she, together with her daughter, had just come from visiting PDIC SSS bldg office that afternoon. She admitted to creating a scene. She was crying and shouting in the information counter, first requesting, then demanding the release of a least one check. She has six time deposits, ranging from 50k to 100k, and she could not understand why it is taking PDIC so long to settle her claims.

She has a tumor in her breast, and needs a biopsy. She is now feeling pain in the other breast. Her husband recently suffered a third stroke, and manhid na daw ang left side of his face. Her son has a tricyle that is in danger of being repossessed because he is 3 months late in his amortizations. She has two daughters with kids who are late in their enrollment because of lack of funds.

Mrs. Al brought her ultrasound findings and the senior's card of her husband to show that it was filled up with entries of medicines purchased for his condition. She said that she would not leave the PDIC office until she got answers, and a check. The clerk told her that he would check the status of her claims but came back and told her that the computer system was down. Mrs. AL said that she resumed her crying but got a headache, which forced her to leave the PDIC office, but with a promise that she would be back.

We advised her to take it easy, that a headache could be a symptom of an impending stroke. It would not help any if she got a stroke, and if she survived it, she would be in the same condition like her poor husband. She said that is the reason why she left the PDIC office, in order to calm down. We suggested to her that the next time she goes back to the PDIC office, she should look for Atty Elaine Deticio, AVP for Claims, instead of talking to a clerk or desk staff. In our one and only meeting with Atty Elaine, she struck us as a sensible and professional individual who listened and cared, not only for the depositors but also for her staff. We cannot wait to hear from Mrs AL the next time we talk, and find out how she fared with a ranking PDIC officer, especially with Atty Elaine.

We can only imagine the tens of thousands of depositors who are in similar straits like Mrs AL who cannot understand why PDIC is taking its sweet time to return to return to them their hard-earned money to them. Mrs. AL knows that PDIC is not handling government funds, but money specifically intended to protect depositors like her. If there was such a thing as a small depositor (which there isn't per PDIC charter), then 65-year-old Mrs AL would be the epitome. And PDIC is the anithesis of an ideal insurer.