SSS six-month collections reach P5.32-B in Southern Luzon

SSS six-month collections reach P5.32-B in Southern Luzon

PUERTO PRINCESA CITY --- Contribution collections from Social Security System (SSS) members here in the province of Palawan and from the rest of Southern Luzon totaled P5.32 billion from January to June 2013, up by eight percent from the P4.91 billion collected in the area for the same period in 2012.

SSS President and Chief Executive Officer Emilio de Quiros, Jr. said contributions from large accounts, or companies with at least 100 employees, amounted to P3.42 billion or 65 percent of the total. This was five percent more than the P3.26-billion large accounts collection in Southern Luzon for the first half of 2012.

“Contributions from employers with less than a hundred employees as well as those from self-employed and voluntary SSS members rose by 15 percent for a total of P1.89 billion. This shows an increase of nearly P250 million from the P1.65-billion branch accounts collection for January to June 2012,” he said. “The growth in collections reflects our successful efforts to promote the importance of active SSS membership among workers here in Southern Luzon.”

Meanwhile, P3.84 million in benefit payments were released in Southern Luzon for the first six months of 2013, a two-percent increase from the P3.75 billion disbursed by SSS for the same period in 2012. Nearly 79 percent of the disbursements, or about P3.01 billion, were paid for regular pensions of over 153,000 SSS pensioners based in the region.

De Quiros and top SSS officials are in this city for a “Stakeholders' Forum” on August 14 with employers and members from Southern Luzon to update them on SSS developments and gather direct feedback on SSS programs and policies. Also part of the three-day itinerary is the “Kapihan sa SSS” with the local media and various consultation meetings with SSS officials and branch employees.

“Among of the major highlights of the SSS Regional Visit to Southern Luzon is the launch of the AlkanSSSya program for the Ihawig Prison and Penal Farm on August 15. This microsavings program will help inmates maximize their productive years in prison thru a mechanism that allows them to regularly save a portion of their earnings from livelihood projects for SSS contributions, so that they may avail themselves of SSS benefits and loans during times of great need,” he said.

The SSS has 2.1 million members in Southern Luzon, who are served by 17 SSS branches that are located in Palawan, San Pablo, Batangas, Binan, Boac, Calamba, Calapan, Infanta, Lipa, Lucena, Romblon, San Jose, Sta. Cruz, Bacoor, Carmona, Rosario and Tagaytay. About 1.49 million members in Southern Luzon are registered employees, including 3,787 domestic workers, while almost 564,000 are self-employed and voluntary members.