Social Security System
|Established:||September 1, 1957|
|President:||Corazon S. de la Paz|
Social Security System (SSS) is an agency which is created to establish a social security protection to workers in the private sector, wage earners as well as self-employed persons. It is implemented in accordance with the Republic Act 1161, better known as Social Security Act of 1954.
It was former President Manuel A. Roxas who first proposed a bill in Congress, seeking the establishment of a social security system for wage earners and low-salaried employees. This he said on January 26, 1948, during his State of the Nation Address.
On July 7, 1948, after the death of Pres. Roxas, Pres. Elpidio Quirino created a Social Security Commission, his first official act as president. This commission drafted the Social Security Act that was submitted to Congress. This draft was introduced by Rep. Floro Crisologo, Senators Cipriano Primicias and Manuel Briones to the House and was enacted as Republic Act 1161, or the Social Security Act 1954.
However, its implementation was delayed by objections made by business and labor groups. It was only in 1957, that amendatory bills were presented in Congress creating the RA 1792, amending the original Social Security Act.
On September 1, 1957, the Social Security Act of 1954 or the Social Security Law (SS Law) was finally implemented adopting the social insurance approach to social security, covering the employed segment of the labor force in the private sector.
There are two programs being administered by SSS, namely:
- The Social Security Program; and
- The Employees' Compensation (EC) Program, which started in 1975, providing double compensation to workers who had illness, death or accident during work-related activities. EC benefits are granted only to members with employers other than themselves.
In 1980, some groups of self-employed persons were also required to contribute to the social security fund from which benefits are paid upon the occurrence of a contingency provided by law. In 1992, self-employed farmers and fisherfolks were also included in the program. In 1993, household helpers who earn at least P1,000 were included in the compulsary coverage of employees and in 1995, workers in the informal sector earning at least P1,000 a month, like the ambulant vendors and watch-your-car boys, were also covered by SSS.
On May 1, 1997, Pres. Fidel V. Ramos, signed RA 8282, Social Security Act of 1997, an act which furtherly strengthen the SSS. This act provides better benefit packages, expansion of coverage, flexibility in investments, stiffer penalties for violators of the law, condonation of penalties of delinquent employers, and the establishment of a voluntary provident fund for members.
In 1995, upon the enactment of Republic Act 7875 or the National Health Insurance Act of 1995, SSS, which used to administer Medicare program for hospitalization and other medical needs of private sector workers, transferred the administration to Philippine Health Insurance Corporation (PhilHealth) for an integrated and comprehensive approach to health development.
|Social Security Commission|
|Chairman||Thelmo Y. Cunanan|
|Vice-Chairman||Corazon S. de la Paz|
|Arturo D. Brion|
Secretary of Labor and Employment
|Fe Tibayan Palileo|
|Victorino F. Balais|
|Donald G. Dee|
|Marianita O. Mendoza|
|Sergio R. Ortiz-Luis, Jr.|
|Jose Sonny Matula|
1. SMEC Benefit Payment through the Bank Program - aimed to achieve more efficiency and safety in delivery, this involves the remittance by SSS of sickness, maternity, and employee's compensation (SMEC) reimbursements to the employer's designated bank, which in turn shall be credited to the employer's savings or current account.
2. Text-SSS - is a a short messaging service (SMS)-based information service system allowing members to inquire about their number of contributions, status of loan applications, salary loan payment period and loan balances using text messaging. For a minimal text fee of Two Philippine Peso and fifty centavos per inquiry sent through text messaging, a member can now have an alternate means of getting information without having to visit an SSS office. This is available for Globe and Touch Mobile subscribers, Smart and Talk 'N Text subscribers and Sun subscribers.
|1. To receive updates on contributions, the member should key in the following text message, filling in the appropriate information for SS number and date of birth:
SSS (space) CONTRI (space) SS NUMBER (space) DATE OF BIRTH [using the MMDDYYYY format], then send to 288 (Smart/ Talk 'N Text) or 2931 (Globe).
|2. To determine the status of a member's salary loan application, the member should key in the following text message, filling in the appropriate information for SS number and date of birth:
SSS (space) SLSTAT (space) SS NUMBER (space) DATE OF BIRTH [using the MMDDYYYY format], then send to 288 (Smart/ Talk 'N Text) or 2931 (Globe).
|3. To get information on salary loan payment period, the member should key in the following text message, filling in the appropriate information for SS number and date of birth:
SSS (space) LPERIOD (space) SS NUMBER (space) DATE OF BIRTH [using the MMDDYYYY format], then send to 288 (Smart/ Talk 'N Text) or 2931 (Globe).
|4. To get information on loan balance, the member should key in the following text message, filling in the appropriate information for SS number and date of birth:
SSS (space) LOANBAL (space) SS NUMBER (space) DATE OF BIRTH [using the MMDDYYYY format], then send to 288 (Smart/ Talk 'N Text) or 2931 (Globe).
The member should ensure that the SSS number keyed-in is 10 digits long, and does not contain any hyphens.
3. SSS Flexi-fund for overseas Filipino workers - is a voluntary fund and additional service aside from the regular membership for the overseas Filipino workers (OFWs), having a source of income in a foreign country, and those residing permanently in a foreign country. This service provides OFWs the chance to set aside a part of their earnings abroad and maximize the returns on their Flexi-fund contributions. Their accumulated funds are investments for the future and offered as a supplement to SSS benefits, thus serving asa an additional layer of social security protection.
4. SSS Auto-Debit Arrangement (ADA) - is a one-time enrollment scheme program wherein social security contributions and loan amortizations will be automatically deducted from the member's bank accounts (Savings Account/Current Account) every 10th of the month. This saves time, money and effort because payments are immediately posted, a member does not need to:
- go to the bank or to SSS every month for your social security contributions and loan amortization payments;
- fill-up so many forms;
- queue at the bank or at the SSS; and
- wait, for accounts are easily and accurately recorded.
5. Guidelines for Accreditation of Banks
6. SSSNet electronic data interchange - aimed to enhance its services to SSS-registered member-employers using information technology, SSS embarked on a project to automate the transfer of data and funds as well as facilitate the members' access to SSS benefits through the SSSNet, using electronic data interchange (EDI) technology.
EDI is the electronic transfer of business information from one computer to another, using agreed standards to structure the data. With EDI, the receiving computer can understand and act upon the information sent, extracting and processing such data as needed for its own company's use before sending it to a third party. There is an EDI message which is the electronic equivalent of any group of information contained in a traditional paper business document such as name, address of sender, delivery date and terms of payment. This will be used in loans granting, loan repayments, sickness/maternity reimbursements, and in pensions.
7. SSS Identification Card
8. Information Kiosk - is an off-site information kiosk, at various locations nationwide. SSS Infoline, a stand-alone computer that provides information about SSS benefits, loans, policies and statistical highlights, is the latest effort of SSS to give its members quick and easy access to information about the SSS. In the future, with the use of the new SSS ID, a member will be able to access information about his own contribution record or the status of his benefit and loan applications through SSS Infoline.
Before one have the services of SSS, one should register first. To know who are qualified to enroll, how to register, what are the benefits, and what are the duties and responsibilities of members of SSS, please see Guidebook for SSS Members
External Link and Reference
- SSS Official Website (accessed on January 8, 2008)