Social Security

In face of crises, disasters MANILA, Philippines — ASEAN must put people’s human rights, particularly to social protection for the poor who are most affected, at the center stage of its response to both the global financial meltdown and the series of disasters that have visited some member-nations of the regional bloc.

MANILA, Philippines –  State-run pension funds, which have been swamped with loan applications after the destruction brought by two killer typhoons, are now bending over backwards in an effort to service the growing number of claims.

To help members, especially those hit by tropical storm “Ondoy,” get back on their feet, the Government Service Insurance System (GSIS) has said it will give borrowers of housing and consolidated loans the chance to hold off monthly payments for one year.

MANILA, Philippines – The Government Service Insurance System (GSIS), the state-owned pension fund for employees in the public sector, is giving borrowers of housing and consolidated loans the chance to hold off monthly payments for one year.

The House of Representatives has approved on final reading the proposed law granting additional retirement and other benefits to members of the Judiciary.

Vice President Noli de Castro has approved a three-month moratorium on housing-loan payments for Pag-IBIG Fund members to alleviate the borrowers’ burden from recent flooding. “We are heeding the clamor of Pag-IBIG members to alleviate their debt burden in the aftermath of Typhoon Ondoy by extending a three months’ moratorium on payment of their amortizations,”…

MANILA, Philippines – The government’s top housing agency is offering loans to members whose homes were severely damaged during the recent onslaught of tropical storm “Ondoy.”

MANILA, Philippines – Administration and opposition congressmen approved last Monday night a measure that provides financial relief to victims of tropical storm “Ondoy” through the suspension for 90 days of payments for government loans.

MANILA, Philippines – Members of the Kilusang Mayo Uno (KMU) are set to mount a rally in the next few days to pressure the government into extending immediate financial assistance, not loans, to typhoon-affected workers.

MANILA, Philippines – President Arroyo has ordered the Government Service Insurance System (GSIS) and the Social Security System (SSS) to speed up the processing and release of loan applications of their distressed members.

MANILA, Philippines – President Arroyo has ordered state pension funds to defer collecting loan repayments from its distressed members to allow them as well as the economy to recover from the devastation caused by tropical storm “Ondoy” by freeing up money for consumer spending.

THE Social Security System yesterday cut the interest rate on home repair loans to 9 percent from 13 to help members whose homes were damaged by tropical storm Ondoy.

The Social Security System (SSS) has cut down its interest rate on home repair and improvement loans from 13 percent to nine percent to help members affected by tropical storm “Ondoy,” a top official said yesterday.

The House of Representatives has approved a joint resolution with the Senate mandating all government financial institutions, including the Pag-Ibig Fund, the Government Service Insurance System (GSIS) and the Social Security System (SSS) to suspend for at least three months the payment of loans and interest payments in the wake of the deluge caused by…

State-run Social Security System (SSS) said Thursday it was offering early renewal of loans to its qualified members as assistance to those who were affected by tropical storm Ondoy.

MORE than a million state workers may now receive the remaining half of their 13th-month pay following the government’s release of P11 billion for those affected by tropical storm Ondoy, an official said yesterday.

MANILA, Philippines – In an effort to help overseas Filipino workers (OFWs) and their families cope with the after effects of “Ondoy,” the Overseas Workers Welfare Administration (OWWA) is now extending interest-free calamity loans.

CEBU, Philippines – Soon solo parents in Cebu City and their children can already avail of a package of benefits from the city government.

STATE-RUN pension funds yesterday said they would make billions of pesos available as emergency loans to the victims of storm Ondoy.

State pension fund Government Service Insurance System (GSIS) has allocated P5 billion as emergency loan fund for members affected by Typhoon “Ondoy.”

State-run pension funds and a government financial institution announced on Monday that they were planning to extend calamity loans to their members who were affected by tropical storm Ondoy.

MANILA, Philippines – Sen. Francis Escudero called yesterday for a three-month freeze on loan payments to the Government Service Insurance System, Pag-Ibig Fund and the Social Security System in Metro Manila and other areas ravaged by tropical storm “Ondoy.”

Dear PAO, I am working in a representative office of a Singapore-based company here in the Philippines. It has only two employees and is being funded by the head office in Singapore. The head office decided to close our office due to the high cost in maintaining it. Are the employees entitled to a separation…

MANILA, Philippines – The plan of the Home Development Mutual Fund (Pag-IBIG Fund) to double the mandatory monthly contributions of its 7.4 million members from P100 to P200 would cost workers an extra P8.9 billion, Catanduanes Rep. Joseph Santiago said yesterday.

MANILA, Philippines—The Quezon City Council is mulling a proposal to give a monthly old age stipend to retired public school teachers and city government workers once they reach the age of 70.

CEBU, Philippines – The Philippine Health Insurance Corporation (PhilHealth) has warned delinquent employers of civil and criminal charges if they will continue to neglect the law on the prompt remittance of premium contributions.

The government’s Home Development Mutual Fund or the Pag-Ibig Fund plans to hike the membership rate collected from local employees, a move which a senator said was ill-advised.

The Home Development Mutual Fund, or Pag-IBIG, announced on Wednesday plans to increase by 100 percent the contributions of employees receiving more than P10,000 a month.

MANILA, Philippines – State-run health insurer Philippine Health Insurance Corp. (PhilHealth) is getting P5 billion in fresh funds from the proposed P1.541trillion national budget for 2010, Cebu Rep. Eduardo Gullas announced yesterday.

The TUCP also cautioned the Home Development Mutual Fund (Pag-IBIG Fund) against raising its mandatory contribution rates, saying this would unduly burden its 7.4 million member-workers.