Premium payments for OFWs’ membership in SSS up for debate

PREMIUM payments for the mandatory membership of land-based overseas Filipino workers (OFW) will be among the contentious issues to be resolved in the first public consultation for the guidelines for the newly signed Republic Act (RA) 11199 next month.

At the initial stakeholder meeting organized by the Department of Labor and Employment (DOLE) for R A 11199 on Tuesday, representatives from both OFW advocate groups and recruitment agencies declared their unanimous support for the mandatory Social Security System (SSS) coverage for OFWs.

However, they also jointly expressed their opposition to the SSS proposal to charge the initial minimum contribution of P960 to OFWs before they are deployed abroad.

Blas F. Ople Policy Center head Susan Ople said imposing additional predeparture charges on aspiring OFWs might just encourage many of them to use illegal channels.

Estrelita S. Hizon, the privatesector representative at the Philippine Overseas Employment Administration Governing Board, aired a similar concern.

“We are not against OFWs becoming members of the SSS. What we are opposing is making it part of the requirement for an OEC [Overseas Employment Certificate],” Hizon said.

“This will be a great injustice to the OFWs, and it defeats the purpose of SSS to help them,” she added.

An OEC is a requirement of POEA before it allows an OFW to work abroad.

POEA Administrator Bernard B. Olalia assured the public they currently have no such regulation, since OEC conditions are contained in a separate regulation.

However, he did admit this might be revised under the implementing rules and regulations (IRR) of RA 11199.

SSS Acting Vice President for Asia Joy A. Villacorta said the initial schedule for the official public consultation for the IRR is on March 3.

She said they may conduct another consultation due to recommendations from stakeholders for the SSS to conduct separate consultations for local and overseas provisions of RA 11199.

Labor Secretary Silvestre H. Bello III said representatives from DOLE and DFA will participate in the consultation to ensure the IRR will have no detrimental impact on the welfare of OFWs.

“What is important is for us not to make it hard for OFWs because the role of the [SSS] law is to help OFWs by giving them compulsory SSS coverage,” Bello said.