SSS, Baguio LGU agree on membership of 525 JO, COS workers

BAGUIO: The city government here has been authorized by the Social Security System (SSS) to collect membership premiums of 525 job order and contract of service (COS) workers. 'We are very willing to provide the necessary services to the SSS,' Mayor Benjamin Magalong said during the signing of the memorandum of agreement (MOA) at Baguio Convention Center on Tuesday. The program is part of the KaSSSangga Collection Program of the SSS, where they enter into agreements with government offices and agencies to be the collecting agents of the SSS. Magalong said they hope to convince all non-plantilla workers to enroll and be deducted their SSS monthly premium payment while connected with the city government. The COS and JO workers are not covered by the Government Service Insurance System (GSIS) and SSS as their work in government does not involve employer-employee relationship. Magalong said they will also look into the suggestion to subsidize a portion of the SSS monthly premium of village officials who are not members of the SSS nor the GSIS. Rolando Macasaet, SSS president and chief executive officer, said the state insurer for private sector workers is mandated to ensure that 'all Filipinos will be pensioners' upon retirement age. He explained that aside from pension, a qualified SSS member will have life insurance, unemployment insurance when retrenched, disability insurance when force to stop working due to accident or health condition, and death and funeral benefits, among others. 'Just imagine that when you grow old you do not have salary, you do not have a pension for your needs. That is why the SSS is giving options for everyone to have the chance to avail of the easier schemes and measure to pay monthly premiums and later on, enjoy the benefits of having contributed to the fund,' he said. Macasaet said there are about one million JO and COS workers in the Philippines that they hope to enrol as SSS members. They also hope to encourage about 50,000 village chiefs and over half a million barangay cou ncilors to pay at least 120 months and receive pension later on. Source: Philippines News agency