The Social Security System is pushing for the membership of village executives and councilors in 42,000 barangays nationwide.
SSS president and chief executive officer Rolando Macasaet, during a recent Liga ng Mga Barangay’s National Congress at the World Trade Center in Pasay City, encouraged the barangay officials to become SSS members to receive lifetime monthly pensions when they retire from public service.
The state pension fund lauded Speaker Ferdinand Martin Romualdez for batting for the passage of the Magna Carta for Barangay Officials to empower the village leaders and to allocate funds for their SSS contribution..
Romualdez vowed to spearhead the legislative measures so that barangay officials could become SSS members free of charge.
“This move shows how much President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. cares for the country’s barangay leaders,” Macasaet said.
“Many of our barangay officials and workers serve their constituents for 10 or 20 years. However, when they retire from public service, they do not get any separation pay or monthly pension. Now, through the SSS membership, we are offering you an opportunity to get a monthly pension when you retire from being a barangay official,” Macasaet said.
He said they must secure an SSS number and start paying their monthly contributions so they would automatically get social security coverage of the state pension fund.
He said they have to pay at least 120 monthly SSS contributions to receive a lifetime monthly pension once they have retired.
“Even if you pay your monthly SSS contributions intermittently, that is fine. If you continue to pay until you reach at least 120 monthly contributions, you will have a pension for life,” Macasaet said.
“Aside from retirement benefits, you will be entitled to sickness, maternity, disability, unemployment, funeral and death benefits,” he added.
They could also take advantage of various SSS loan programs, such as salary and calamity, and get additional coverage from the Employees’ Compensation Program for work-related sickness or injury resulting in disability or death.
