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Official Publication of the Philippine Information Agency Bicol Regional Office, in cooperation with the RIAC-REDIRAS - RDC Bicol



Wednesday, March 12, 2014

SSS collects P1.15B member contributions for Jan.-Nov. 2013 in Bicol

LEGAZPI CITY, March 11 (PIA) -- The Social Security System (SSS) has collected a total of P1.15 billion in contributions from members and employers in the Bicol region covering the period of January to November last year, 10 percent higher than the total collection of P1.04 B for the same period last 2012.

Josie Magana, officer in charge of the SSS Luzon Operations Group, said contribution from branch accounts covering small and medium sized companies with less than 100 employees comprised 37 percent or P430.33 million of the total collection in the Bicol region.

Magana added that contributions from large Bicol-based accounts or companies with 100 employees and less reached P334.54 M, while contributions from self employed and voluntary members in the area totalled P390.12 M.

She explained that the continuing growth in collections reflects the increasing number of workers in Bicol who realized the value of active SSS membership.

“While employees still account for most of total Bicol collections, we expect contributions from self-employed and voluntary members to grow as we increase our partnership with organized workers’ groups, particularly in the informal sector within the region,” she said.

A total of 54 Bicol-based institutions and around 3,600 of their members already joined the AlkanSSSya program, an SSS microsavings project intended to help informal sector workers maintain active membership with the help of a secure cabinet-type “piggy bank” that stores their daily SSS savings.

Last year, the SSS also accredited the Legazpi City-based Simbag sa Pag-asenso Inc. as a servicing partner agent to facilitate SSS transactions of almost 32,500 self-employed workers in Southern Bicol and Northern Samar.

Magana noted that nearly 80 percent, or P899.23 M of the total contribution from Bicol were remitted over the counter at SSS branches. Another P160.99 M were paid at SSS-accredited banks, while the rests were remitted at SSS payment facilities such as bayad centers, auto debit arrangements and the web-based electronic data interchange for employers

The SSS, according to Magana, has also enhanced its tellering facilities by providing all our branch tellers with an online system that validates the paying member’s SS number and name, thereby ensuring accurate payment information.

“This enables the same day posting of their SSS payments and eliminates the occurrence of ‘unpostable’ contributions,” she said.

Magana as well as other senior SSS officials led by president and chief executive officer Emilio de Quiros, Jr. slated a sorty in this city on March 10 to 11 for the first SSS Regional Visit in 2014.   Activities during the visit include the “Kapihan sa SSS” with the local media and fora with stakeholders and branch personnel for the SSS management to gather direct feedback on SSS policies and programs.

The SSS Bicol Division has over 40,000 registered employers and nearly 663,000 members in Bicol.

SSS Bicol Division holds office in Naga City and supervises nine branches located in Naga City, Daet, Goa, Iriga City, Masbate City, Sorsogon City , Tabaco City, Virac and in this city, while  service offices at Ligao City Hall, and 8 representative offices in Jose Panganiban, Labo, Ocampo, Bulan, Irosin, Matnog, Pilar and Donsol.  (MAL/Media Affairs Dept.-SSS/PIA5)

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