Valdez: SSS mulls giving unemployment insurance

The Social Security System (SSS) is looking into providing unemployment insurance for its contributing members, according to its chairman, Amado Valdez, in an interview on Unang Balita on Tuesday.

"Pinag-aaralan namin ngayon 'yung unemployment insurance," Valdez said, adding they have sent a task force to Indonesia to meet with the International Labor Organization to study this possible addition to member benefits.

This insurance will ensure temporary financial security for a member should he or she suddenly become unemployed, he said.

"Kung paanong makapagbibigay tayo ng unemployment insurance, yung para bang bigla kang nawalan ng trabaho, at least for six months, madudugtungan yung sweldo mo. Hindi mapuputol yung stream ng income mo, makahanap ka ng trabaho, o mag-retraining ka," Valdez said.

This is one of the current undertakings of the SSS, the last option of which is to increase monthly contributions of its members, Valdez said.

He said they are intensifying their collection efforts and also looking into adjusting the salary base of their contributions.

"Tayong nasa SSS, kayo, 11 percent based on P16,000 lang. Yung mga tumatanggap ng P20,000, P25,000, P30,000, nagrereklamo sila, 'Bakit hindi nyo i-base dun sa actual na tinatanggap namin para malaki yung pension na tatanggapin namin,'" Valdez said.

He said this argument is reasonable, so they may prioritize it.

The anticipated contributions hike may not happen until next year, he added.

Valdez also denied speculations that SSS funds are nearing depletion.

"Hindi yan ang problema natin, Igan, kasi buwan-buwan naman nagko-contribute ang mga kababayan natin. Ang problema natin ngayon kung paano mapalaki yung pondo," he said, adding that he has found that the SSS could be used not only for social protection but also as "people's capital" that could be used for building infrastructure.

At this point in time, the SSS is on track to reaching its yearly target, Valdez said.

"Sa ngayon nakukuha naman natin yung koleksyon na kailangan para madugtungan natin yung...nagdagdag kasi tayo ng P1,000 eh, na pension. Nakukuha natin yun, at sumobra ng konti; in fact, ang increase ng koleksyon namin umabot ng 30 percent, Igan...for six months lang yun," he said.

Valdez also said the SSS is studying whether or not they could have the power to condone penalties for delinquent contributions to further speed up the collection process.

News Online)

(GMA