Blas Ople Policy Center head and former Labor Undersecretary Susan ‘Toots’ Ople is appealing to the government to give Overseas Filipino Workers (OFWs) a break on the increase of premiums for Social Security System (SSS) payments and PhilHealth.
“The outlook for our overseas workers is not at its brightest, with tensions rising throughout the Middle East and ongoing protests in Hong Kong over a hotly contested legislation, among other challenges,” Ople said in a press conference.
Ople said that any additional payments or expenses could push OFWs to choose illegal activities or prefer to be undocumented to escape the rising premiums imposed by governement agencies.
Several labor groups are also appealing to the government to stop reject the provision in the published Implementing Rules and Regulations of the SSS law making OFW collections tie up with the issuance of an Overseas Employment Certificate (OEC).
The center told Inquirer.net that this provision will entail a payment of P2,880 for each vacationing OFW based on the minimum rate of contributions.
