SSS bares guidelines of P7-B educational loan facility

SSS bares guidelines of P7-B educational loan facility

The Social Security System (SSS) has announced the terms of its new P7-billion loan window for college education and skills training, which is part of government’s efforts to enhance job prospects and ensure productive employment of current and future workers.

SSS Officer-in-Charge Edgar Solilapsi said members earning P10,000 or less a month can apply for the Educational Assistance Loan Program (EALP) to enable them or their dependents to defray enrollment costs for college, vocational and technical courses.

"The EALP aims to boost the country’s socio-economic growth by developing a larger pool of competent professionals and skilled workers. It will also help workers upgrade their knowledge and skills to secure better jobs and provide a brighter future for their family," Solilapsi added.

Members with at least 36 contributions -- including three monthly premiums within the past 12 months -- are eligible to borrow for educational expenses of one beneficiary. The member must also be paying premiums based on a monthly salary credit of P10,000 or lower.

"The beneficiaries can be the SSS members themselves, legal spouses or children. Unmarried members can use the loan for the education of their siblings," Solilapsi said. "However, no substitution of beneficiary will be allowed to ensure that students finish their studies and obtain their degree."

The maximum loan amount per semester or trimester is P15,000 for college and P7,500 for a vocational or technical course, which must be a two-year degree program or higher. Loan releases will be made payable to the school and must be used for tuition and miscellaneous fees only. The school must be accredited by the Commission on Higher Education or the Technical Education and Skills Development Authority.

Members have up to three years to repay the loan for voc-tech courses and up to five years for college degrees. The grace period before repayment, which will start on the date of the final loan release, is 18 months for semestral courses and 15 months for trimestral programs.

The P7-billion educational loan fund for private sector workers consists of P3.5 billion in national government subsidy and P3.5 billion from SSS. It can serve as a revolving fund that may be released to benefit more borrowers as these are recovered and collected, Solilapsi noted.

"The loan amount shall be funded on a 50:50 basis from the national government and SSS. The SSS portion carries an interest rate of six percent per annum based on diminishing principal balance until fully paid, while the government share has zero interest," he added.

To apply, members must accomplish a loan application form and personally submit this and a school-issued billing statement to their nearest SSS branch. Application forms for the EALP are available at SSS branches or may be downloaded from the SSS website (www.sss.gov.ph).

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UNA bares first 5 Sentorial bets

           

The United Nationalist Alliance council of leaders has officially named five candidates in its senatorial ticket, namely Koko Pimentel and Joey De Venecia from PDP Laban, Jackie Enrile and JV Ejercito from PMP, and Sen. Greg Honasan.

There are nine remaining slots and UNA is faced with a happy dilemma: we have more than nine names under consideration. The final list will be released officially by the UNA secretariat, chaired by Secretary-General Toby Tiangco, at the proper time. Lists or names mentioned by personalities outside the UNA secretariat are only speculative.

FORUM ON LIBEL, MEDIA KILLINGS TODAY

  By: Jess Dureza
     

DAVAO CITY  ---A media forum that will tackle libel and other challenges facing practitioners like murder of mediamen will reel off today at downtown's Ateneo audio visual hall
About 50 participants are expected to attend.
       

Radio, tv and print  journalists will discuss today some salient features of the libel law with resource person, Lawyer Carlos Zarate, former Davao IBP President and a lecturer on libel laws and related fields.
       

  Local radioman Alex Adonis of DXDC, who was convicted of libel and who served a prison sentence for 2 years at the Davao Penal Colony will share his experience during the forum portion that will discuss the proposal to decriminalize libel.
         

 Lawyer Jesus Dureza, Mindanao trustee of the Philippine Press Institute said the participants may also take up the issue of media killings and the security implications of media work in some areas. In addition,  media conduct and accountability with discussions on the possible establishment of a media council are also expected to be taken up.
 Ateneo de Davao and the Thomas Jefferson Library are co-sponsors of the event with PPI.

"TROUBLE IN THE PHILIPPINES?"

by Jess G. Dureza

        
Already, the dispute with China has some  negative collaterals on the sides. The temperature is rising. Public statements are becoming nasty.  Lately, chinese travel agencies were reported to have stopped sending tour groups to the country fearing for the safety of chinese  tourists. If this escalates, the chinese may adopt   "Trouble in the Philippines"  to  replace  the  "It's fun  in the Philippines" tourism slogan.  Hacking and counter hacking of public websites are happening.  Our banana exports are threatened. More nasty scenarios are in the horizon.
                                                      
         ****
        
 MVP FORMULA --- The recent moves of business tycoon Manny V. Pangilinan,  more known as "MVP" is the correct formula to diffuse the
" standoff" with China. He personally went to Beijing and discussed quietly a possible deal with a Chinese company to jointly explore the Reed Bank area for gas and oil. Let's not forget that big chinese companies are state owned.  If this pushes through, it's a master stroke that will de-escalate the conflict.
     
  No need to show machismo. A business deal hopefully will push the "sovereignty" issue back in the back-burners. Again, may I suggest that our national leaders, except our foreign affairs officials and diplomats, please "shut up " for a while so we do not cancel out these new initiatives. Leave this touchy issue in the meantime to the diplomats who can nuance their statements with the strategic interest of the country in mind.

                                                 ***** * * *
       
CHINESE BLOOD --But before this goes out of hand,  let us not forget that Filipinos and the Chinese have a common umbilical cord. Our citizens have direct personal and lineage links with mother  China. Our Chinese ancestry is real and for good.  Many of our citizens, mostly  businessmen are "chinoys".  Chinese blood is undeniably in our veins.  And no amount of "territorial dispute" will change all that. The bloodlines are much sturdier than sovereignty considerations.
       
Blood is thicker than oil, if I may.

                                                       * * *
        
MACHO --It all started because our "macho" government  dispatched  a Philippine Navy  battleship to confront the Chinese fishermen in the area. Embarrassingly, we hastily retreated and wagged our tail when China responded (but of course, what did you expect?) with   much superior Chinese naval armaments  dispatched to intervene. We,  knowingly or unwittingly ,  militarized an issue that had been  conveniently there in the back burners and which could have been  better addressed through quiet  diplomacy.

                                                                       * * * *
       
RAPPORT --I now suggest that our private sector  does the quiet steps for rapport with the Chinese side, like what MVP is starting to do.  Our tycoon families   can  immediately do that with the mainland authorities.
       
In the meantime, our government officials'   media statements will have to be more nuanced and better calibrated now.
                                                               ****
      
MEDIA -- The Davao media  forum during the week  came up with a unanimous  consensus that we support decriminalization of libel. At the same time, while this is still in the works,  efforts to revive a media desk with the Integrated Bar of the Philippines for legal assistance to media practitioners is in the list of doable. Further discussions will still be held in the future  on how media should also police its own ranks, through adoption of codes of ethics or  grievance mechanisms for public accountability. A media council can also be  organized for the purpose.

            
Atty. Kaloi Zarate gave out copies of   his well documented compilation that may serve as handy guide to journalists. Thanks to Ateneo de Davao University and the Thomas Jefferson Library of the US Embassy for the support.
             
We plan to do the rounds in Mindanao to replicate this.

                                                       * * * *
      
TIDBITS ---**** A few nights ago, I had dinner with JICA representative in the ARMM, Kazu Sudo, a long time friend. We first met in 1998 during the Cebu Pacific plane crash retrieval operations as he led Jica's efforts to search for the remains of Japanese young volunteers who were on board that fateful Flight 387.   He is optimistic about a possible peace agreement between the government and the MILF. He said Japan is ready to upscale its development assistance in the event a peace pact is signed.
                            
  **** New Davao Archbishop Romulo Valles will be installed on May 22 in appropriate liturgical ceremonies at the San Pedro Cathedral in Davao. Retired Archbishop Nanding Capalla will however not fade away in the sunset. I predict he will still  continue his  involvement in various concerns. But then, just like me, he'll go waste time.

Special election in Lanao Sur barangays successful...army

     

                                        BY: RIC CLET and MARIZ REVALES

 Matling ,Malabang, Lanao del Sur – The special election in two barangays of   Bayang, Lanao del Sur was successfully conducted through the security supervision of the 51st Infantry  (FUERTO UNO) Battalion (TABAK) Division of the Phillipine Army under the command of LTC Ceasar Marlon M Yadao INF (GSC) PA  on May 12 , 2012 at about 8 in the morning and ended at about  2:50 in the afternoon following the canvassing and proclamation of the winning candidates at barangay Patong and Bialaan,Bayang,Lanao del Sur  

 

 Yadao in  a press statements sent through its CMO Officer 1Lt Ronald E Dacawi  that the said barangays in the Bayang of the  2nd  district of Lanao del Sur were considered hotspot and was declared failure of election by the Commission on election (Comelec)  last 2010 barangay election.

The conduct of election last May 12 was generally peaceful and successful. “ no untoward incident happened because of the full cooperation of the candidates and their supporters”, the army’s statements said. Yadao personally commended his troops for the clean, honest and credible election.  

 “Cooperation and understanding must prevail so that peace and development in your barangays will continue to pour in “ Yadao  emphasized during his talk to the civilian electorates before the elections . He added that the military personnel will do their very best since it is their job to attain an Honest Orderly and Peaceful Election (HOPE) .

Residents of Bayang has extended their gratitude to Yadao and his troops for their untiring support not only on promoting Peace and Order in Lanao del Sur but also in securing the conduct of the election in their area of operation.