‘Whatever happened to SSS pension hike?’

Whatever happened to the promised 1 1,000 pension increase for retired Social Security System (SSS) members?

“We have been swamped already with queries, even complaints, from our SSS pensioners. Yet, up until now, all that the SSS management can say is they are supposedly still awaiting the order signed by President Duterte,” rued Bayan Muna party-list Rep. Carlos Isagani Zarate, chairman of the House Natural Resources Committee.

“Our pensioners have waited enough, thus, their is no reason at all to prolong even more their agony,” added Zarate.

Zarate and the rest of the Makabayan bloc had batted for a 12,000 across-the-board SSS pension increase for retirees, the vast majority of which are senior citizens who have special needs like maintenance medicines.

On January 10, Duterte, who is an ally of the bloc, affixed his signature to a resolution approving a 11,000 acrossthe-board pension increase.

SSS and Malacañang promised that the initial tranche of the 11,000 hike would be released in February, although retroactive beginning January of this year.

“While we continue to oppose the 1.5 percent increase in SSS member contribution that the economic managers piggybacked in the approval of the pension hike, we call on the government and the SSS to address first this grace social justice issues for our pensioners,” Zarate said.