January 8, 2025 | 12:00am
MANILA, Philippines — Instead of postponing the increase in members’ contributions this year, the Social Security System yesterday pushed for a program that subsidizes the contribution of informal economy workers and individually paying SSS members.
Malacañang, meanwhile, defended the increase in SSS premiums, saying this has been “studied well.”
SSS president and chief executive officer Robert Joseph de Claro pointed out that a delay in the implementation of the members’ contribution hike would affect many of its members and the agency’s capacity to extend assistance “in times of need.”
“(M)any would be affected if this increase would be suspended,” De Claro told a press briefing at Malacañang.
He explained that additional collections are used to fund various services offered by the state-run pension fund, particularly in granting calamity loans.
“Last year, we gave out around P9.8 billion in loans for calamity-stricken areas (during) Carina and, I think, Kristine, we helped a lot, about 500,000 members. So, if you delay this increase, (it is) not only the members who will suffer, but also the capacity of the SSS to help in times of need,” De Claro explained.
The SSS chief instead urged lawmakers and private individuals to support the agency’s Contribution Subsidy Program (CSP).
Through the CSP, funds from well-off private individuals can be solicited to help low-income earning Filipino segments pay contribution for their social protection.
“Private individuals who are well-off, we encourage you also to work with SSS to help specific segments of our society,” De Claro said.
At a separate press briefing at the Palace, Executive Secretary Lucas Bersamin stressed that the increase in contribution would also result in the expansion of SSS members’ benefits.
“They have studied that (increase) for a long time, they announced it long before that call was made and in fact, these benefits are being expanded now, so why don’t we just let that process continue and produce result that they were predicted by actuarial studies,” Bersamin said.
Asked whether President Marcos was aware of calls to suspend the contribution hike, Bersamin responded that Marcos lets the SSS perform its mandate.
“If you always meddle in the management of their affairs where there are very specialized, it will not work, it will not work. It may have a negative impact. So let us let them do their work, that call (to suspend) is, maybe, good for next year, if it ever will be reviewed,” Bersamin said.
He also questioned the timing of the call of former SSS president Rolando Macasaet to suspend the rate hike.
“You must understand where the call came from – he’s a candidate, Rolio Macasaet, who used to be president of SSS. I don’t know if that is part of his way of campaigning, but we consider seriously if that issue ever is brought to us officially. We can understand where that call is being made,” Bersamin said.
Macasaet resigned from the SSS in October last year to run as representative of the SSS-GSIS Pensyonado Party-list.
Aside from Macasaet, civil society groups and some lawmakers have also called for the suspension of the rate hike. — Keisha Ta-asan, Jose Rodel Clapano, Emmanuel Tupas
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