The state-run Social Security System and the Department of Environment and Natural Resources recently signed a Memorandum of Agreement formalizing the SSS membership of 450 job order workers at the DENR’s central office.
Under the agreement, job order workers will be registered in SSS as self-employed members, while the DENR, as a collecting partner, will remit their monthly SSS contributions through a salary-deduction scheme as part of the KaltaSSS-Collect Program.
SSS president and chief executive officer Aurora C. Ignacio expressed optimism in the partnership that will not only increase SSS membership but also provide more workers with social security protection.
“Government job order workers are not covered by the Government Service Insurance System due to their employment status. Through the KaltaSSS-Collect program, they will be covered by the SSS, and avail themselves of the System’s benefits in times of contingencies.” Ignacio said.
As SSS members, they will be entitled to benefit programs being offered by the pension fund in times of sickness, maternity, retirement, disability, death, and funeral provided that they meet the qualifying conditions of each benefit.
Aside from benefit programs, the pension fund also offers loan programs such as salary, calamity, housing, educational, and pension loans.
“It is important for a worker to have social security so that in times of contingencies that result in loss of income or financial burden, the worker will receive assistance. This motivates us to encourage more workers to be members of the SSS,” Ignacio said.
The SSS and DENR’s agreement will be replicated in other DENR regional offices and branches nationwide.
As of March 2019, the pension fund has partnered with 1,565 government agencies and local government units covering over 200,000 job order workers through its KaltaSSS-Collect Program. From this, the SSS has already collected more than P2.01 billion.