Social Security

Due to the recent economic crisis, high cost of operations, low sales or other business reasons, some establishments have been forced to close shop. Consequently, job security becomes tenuous at best. One of the ways to provide safety nets for retiring employees is the setting up of an employees’ trust fund.

The change at the top of the Government Service Insurance System (GSIS) offers new hope for thousands of past and present state employees. Under various computerization programs instituted by Winston Garcia, GSIS president and general manager from 2001 to last month, grave problems have hampered services and pension payments to countless fund members.

MANILA, Philippines – The Trade Union Congress of the Philippines (TUCP) yesterday called on the new chairman of the Government Service Insurance System (GSIS) to fully disclose the condition of the fund’s Global Investment Program (GIP).

MANILA, Philippines – A militant party-list lawmaker called on newly appointed Government Service Insurance System (GSIS) chairman Daniel Lacson to immediately scrap the “unjust and illegal” policies of his predecessor and refund P1.7 billion in deductions from teachers’ benefits.

Dear PAO, I just have a concern regarding survivorship claim.  I want to ask if a common law wife of a pensioner has a right to claim the survivorship spouse claim or specifically survivorship pension? Here is the situation, my father was a pensioner. He was married to his first wife and had 4 siblings…

THE state-owned Home Development Mutual Fund or Pag-IBIG Fund is tightening up on housing loans to ensure its viability amid an overwhelming demand for home financing, its top official said Tuesday.

State-run Home Development Mutual Fund (Pag-IBIG Fund) said it would tighten lending rules for new and incoming members to maintain the agency’s viability. “When before, a member could just pay a lump-sum equivalent to P4,800, which is likewise payable for 24 months to get a loan of P500,000, now a new member should wait for…

MANILA, Philippines – Jaime Fabiaña, chief executive officer of the Home Development Mutual Fund (Pag-IBIG Fund), defended yesterday the agency and denied allegations that its officials have been working there too long and have lost the vision to serve.

MANILA, Philippines – The Aquino administration has abolished the food-for-school or rice-for-school program of the Arroyo government and will re-allocate the P3.3-billion budget for this to conditional cash transfers that may be of more help to the poor, Budget Secretary Florencio “Butch” Abad and Social Welfare Secretary Corazon “Dinky” Soliman said yesterday.

THE SOCIAL Security System (SSS) has collected a total of P212.88 million from a program that forgives employers who failed to remit the premiums of their employees, a statement read yesterday.

See full text at http://www.gsis.gov.ph/default.php?id=113

CEBU, Philippines – PhilHealth signed a memorandum of agreement with the Department of Social Welfare and Development for the health insurance coverage of an initial 1,000 poor families.

The Department of Labor and Employment (DoLE) and five government agencies joined hands in launching the “Kabayanihan” program, integrating various social protection services for overseas Filipino workers (OFWs).

Paid sick leave plays a crucial role especially in times of crises where many workers fear dismissal and discrimination when reporting sick. A new ILO study shows that paid sick leave is not only affordable but pays off in terms of health and economic gains for employers, workers and the economy at large. ILO Online…

The Social Security System (SSS) announced a new amnesty program for business owners that failed to remit their employees’ loan amortizations due on or before April 1 this year, a top official said.

Dear PAO, I’m working for an ESL school in Cebu City. I just tendered my resignation letter a couple of weeks ago. It’s effective three months subsequently after I handed my letter of resignation. I wanted to avail a week leave within my remaining months of tenure in this school but they disapproved my leave…

MANILA, Philippines—Filipinos in Portugal will soon be able to avail themselves of the Portuguese social security benefits in the Philippines, the Department of Foreign Affairs said.

MANILA, Philippines—The government service insurance system has reported an 18-percent jump in its assets in 2009 from a year ago, claiming to have accomplished this financial performance mainly through reforms in the collection of premiums from members.

Dear PAO, Do employees who have been working for almost 10 years have a right to make contributions to the Social Security System (SSS)? Louie

MANILA, Philippines – Some 12.2 million poor Filipinos nationwide would receive food assistance from the government following the signing of the implementing rules and regulations (IRR) for the Food Donation Act of 2009, acting Social Welfare Secretary Celia Yangco said.

TEKA MUNA!: Social Security System president Romulo Neri is offering to the Commission on Elections the multipurpose ID cards that SSS has been sharing with three other agencies as voters’ identification cards.

MANILA, Philippines – Senate Minority Leader Aquilino Pimentel Jr. and Sen. Francis Escudero hold different views on the proposal of Social Security System (SSS) chairman Romulo Neri to the Commission on Elections (Comelec) to use the unified multi-purpose identification cards as voter’s IDs.

MANILA, Philippines – Social Security System (SSS) president Romulo Neri has offered to the Commission on Elections (Comelec) the use of the unified multipurpose identification cards as voter’s IDs.

MANILA, Philippines – The Social Security System (SSS), the state-owned pension fund for private employees, said it has collected a total of P127.74 million in overdue contributions from delinquent employers.

Dear PAO, I am a new business owner with a staff of four. My questions are: 1) Am I exempted from paying holiday pay since my business is a service establishment? 2) If I am not exempted, how much will I pay to my employees during regular holidays? 3) What are the regular holidays in…

MANILA, Philippines – The country is asked to consider steps towards extending universal social protection to help unemployed persons cope with the impact of the global crisis.

MANILA, Philippines – The Social Security System (SSS), the state-run pension fund for private employees, has expanded the repayment period for overdue contributions to encourage employers to settle their obligations under an amnesty period which will run until July 31.

The Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) central office has signed with the new leadership of the Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (ARMM) a memorandum of agreement to ensure an intensified implementation of the Pantawid Pamilyang Pilipino Program (4Ps) in the poverty-laden ARMM communities.

MANILA, Philippines – The Social Security System (SSS) expects to collect at least P3.9 billion in five years from employers who are delinquent in the payment of their employee contributions.

Dear PAO, I am graduating from college this March 2010 and I intend to work immediately after graduation. Our university sponsored a job week program and my classmates and I were able to submit our employment applications to prospective employers. I came across a list of requirements of one of the companies and it states…