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SSS Law amendment seeks to cover all OFWs

The government agency Social Security System (SSS) on August 6, said that among the amendments proposed in the Social Security Law is the mandatory coverage of overseas Filipino workers (OFWs) to help them in emergency situations.

SSS President and Chief Executive Officer Emmanuel F. Dooc said that only 583,000 of the more than 2 million OFWs in the world are actively paying their SSS contribution.

“Based on the latest statistics, there are more than two million OFWs around the world but only more than 583,000 are actively paying their SSS monthly contributions. With the help of Sen. Richard Gordon, our SSS champion in the Senate, our goal is to make sure that all Filipinos in and out of the country are protected under the SSS,” Dooc said.

Dooc said the SSS will work with the Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) and the Department of Labor and Employment (DOLE) to ensure that all OFWs are covered by the service.

Meanwhile, Senator Gordon, the author of Senate Bill 1753, which seeks to amend the 21-year old charter of the pension fund, said that another way to ensure that OFWs will be eligible to avail of the service is to sign bilateral agreements with other countries where OFWs are located.

Currently, the Philippines, through the SSS as lead negotiator, has existing bilateral social security agreements with Austria, UK and Northern Ireland, Spain, France, Canada, Quebec, Netherlands, Switzerland, Belgium, Denmark, Portugal, Germany and Japan.

OFW benefits from SSS

Dooc said that OFWs can have a wide range of benefits from SSS if they pay their monthly contribution.

If an OFW is paying the maximum monthly SSS contribution of Php1,760 (Dh121.8) for at least 10 years, he/she will be entitled to the following:

– Basic monthly pension amounting to at least P6,400 upon retirement, disability or death, with an additional monthly benefit of P1,000
– Other benefits for pensioners like 13th month pension, dependents pension, and supplemental monthly allowance of P500 for disability pensioners
– Short-term benefits in the form of cash allowances for sickness (up to P57,600 per year)
– Maternity allowance for female members (up to P32,000 for normal delivery/miscarriage and P41,600 for caesarian delivery)
– Funeral grant amounting to at least P20,000
– Salary loan of up to P32,000
– Direct housing loan of up to P2-million
– In case of death, 100% of their pension will be transferred to their spouse and dependent children as primary beneficiaries

Members who will not be able to complete the 10-year contribution minimum can ask for refund of all their contributions.

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