SSS Membership

[Maria Asuncion Bagolor Bangcoy]

The employer of a private company in the P.I. is obliged to pay the SSS membership of all employees for them to have a pension plan. Private employed Pinoys can also borrow money to build a house, to start a small business, etc. from SSS.

When they leave their employer in the P.I. to work abroad, most tend to stop paying premiums to their SSS plan. To enlighten the "minds" of this now well-paid kababayan, I had been active in the campaign to encourage all Pinoys/Pinays to continue payment of their SSS premiums so they have something to fall back on in the future.

As explained to me by a fellow Boholano who was the SSS representative in Kuwait, it is easier now to revive the membership since records are now computerized, or an individual can now join as a voluntary contributor. To receive a full pension at 60 yrs old, one must have paid the premiums of at least the equivalent of 120 months or 10 years.

Why is it that many kabakayans still don't make their SSS membership a priority in their retirement planning? Let's just say, we don't normally plan our retirment (ang Guino-o ray mahibalo!), how about the time when we have aches and pains and can no longer work abroad?

Comments from the overseas workers would be greatly appreciated.

[Maria Asuncion Bagolor Bangcoy]

Great! You are smart to be enquisitive about SSS. You can go to the website sss.gov.ph or SSS Philippines. The representative is usually attached with the Philippine Embassy. In UAE, the embassy is with the state capital, Abu Dhabi, but there should be a Phil. consulate who can inform you who the SSS guy is.

Help your kababayans by encouraging them to join SSS parang dunay work/health/personal insurance kamo dinha nga naghago gyud ug trabaho. God bless to you and your fellow overseas workers!

[Maria Asuncion Bagolor Bangcoy]

Deckiok, sorry I was in a hurry yesterday to go to the volunteer work at the Living Arts Centre. I hope you succeeded in getting access to www.sss.gov.ph or you can click SSS Philippines to get their website. Since overseas employers are not obligated to pay your SSS premiums, you can join as a voluntary contributor.

The application form has to be submitted in person for security reasons. When you already have your SSS number and ID card, you can delegate someone in the Philippines to pay the premium for you. The service in the Tagbilaran office of SSS is quicker than in Cebu. Or, you can pay thru a PNB or RBC office, I'm sure there's one in Dubai since there's a large Pinoy commnity over there. The maximum monthly contribution is Phps 1,560 which is approximately US$33 equivalent to the cost of one blouse/shirt/pants/lunch/dinner. Personally, I usually recommend that you pay the maximum for you to get the highest retirement benefits. You can study more on their website the other benefits -- sickness, disability, death & funeral.

You can hear negative comments from some people but ignore them. This is your only way to have social security insurance away from home. Dong, by the way, I don't receive anything from SSS. I was just so sad to meet so many OFWs who didn't seem to care to plan for their future. Good luck and God bless...

[nitamarie]

hi deckiok, just bring you mrs. sss number in the office and they will sort it out. ky ako bitaw, nastop man ako for 7 years(when i came here) nya gipareactivate nako didto sa pinas last year.all you need is the sss number and then change her circumstances if she likes.

[nitamarie]

sorry deckiok for butting-in. i should not answer your query because it wasn't meant for me.

[nitamarie]

wala man tuy surcharge, ipadayun lang nimo ang contribution unya naa man na syay bracket kung ofw ka-1k plus ang maximum, if voluntary magpili lang ka ug pila nga amount imong gusto,etc. ako ky voluntary man and i'm paying 1600/mo

[Maria Asuncion Bagolor Bangcoy]

Well done Nitamarie! So you are paying the maximum contribution! That's excellent! I'm very happy for you! So Deckiok, go for it ASAP!

[Maria Asuncion Bagolor Bangcoy]

NitaMarie, thank you for sharing your experience which encourages others to join. You are right, reactivating a membership is easy. It's just a matter of giving the ID number and the SSS representative can check the computerized record-keeping.

Deckiok, gather a group of friends to accompany you to go to Abu Dhabi to make the trip more enjoyable. Try to ask for extra blank forms to give to your friends who couldn't make it to Abu Dhabi. The earlier you start paying, the better. You can't pay back the past years. When you have extra money such as a time when you receive a bonus pay, they'll allow one year of advance payments. For your wife, there's also a maternity benefit.

You can both encourage others to join. Talk to anyone you meet about the benefits of joining or reactivating a membership. Time flies so fast. You'll feel good to have a SSS pension to look forward to in your senior years.

Take good care of yourselves over there!

[nitamarie]

My friend here encouraged me to continue my sss contribution, because even if she had her delivery here which was completely free(not a pence fee), nakareceived sya ug lump sum(maybe 20k/30k) from sss when she went home and tried to file for maternity benefit(I guess).swerte kaayo sya.

[Maria Asuncion Bagolor Bangcoy]

Don't mention it! You are very welcome! I'm very glad to have encouraged you. Pass it forward. Encourage others too. We want all Tubignons and in fact, all Bol-anons if not all Pinoys/Pinays, to live/work with a social security insurance.

[Maria Asuncion Bagolor Bangcoy]

You are exactly right Yano! How do we motivate people to think of their future? It's not easy. Some people think that their children are their investment/insurance which could provide them in their senior years. Others truly believe that God provides and just leave it to God. They don't want to have more input to their future. Guino-o ray mahibawo. When this is the answer, there's nothing more we can say. Amen na lang.