SSS-BI agreement ensures social security coverage to job order and contract of service worker

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The Social Security System (SSS) and Bureau of Immigration (BI) signed a Memorandum of Agreement (MOA) on March 9, 2023 at the BI main office in Intramuros, Manila that will provide social security coverage to job order and contract of service workers in the government.

Photo shows SSS President and Chief Executive Officer Rolando Ledesma Macasaet (right) and BI Commissioner Norman G. Tansingco (left) during the ceremonial signing that will benefit at least 800 job order and contract of service workers serving in the immigration regulatory body.

Under the MOA, BI’s job order and contract of service workers will get SSS coverage under the KaSSSama sa Coverage Program. Under the program, these BI workers will be classified as self-employed members of SSS.

The agreement also states that BI will act as a Coverage and Collection Partner of SSS. As such, SSS authorized BI to collect and remit the monthly contributions of these workers through a salary-deduction scheme.

“The SSS aims to secure the future of all job order and contract of service workers in government agencies nationwide. Although these employees work in government offices, they are considered private self-employed members and are not covered by the Government Service Insurance System,” Macasaet said.

He explained that as self-employed SSS members, they will be entitled to receive social security benefits such as sickness, maternity, disability, retirement, funeral and death benefits. They will also get additional coverage from the Employees' Compensation Program (ECP) for work-related contingencies. Moreover, they may apply for various member loans offered by SSS such as salary and calamity loans.

Commissioner Tansingco thanked SSS for bringing social security benefits to their job order and contract of service workers which they can rely on during times of contingencies.

Meanwhile, Macasaet visited the KaSSSama sa Coverage Program servicing counter set up for the occasion in the BI head office in Intramuros, Manila. SSS personnel from SSS Manila Branch manned the online and onsite servicing counter to assist BI workers in creating online account with SSS through the My.SSS facility, registration with SSS as self-employed members, generating Payment Reference Number for contribution payment, verification of member's records, and answering inquiries on various SSS benefits and loan programs.

As of December 2022, SSS has partnered with 1,531 local government units (LGUs), 499 national government agencies, 111 state universities and colleges (SUCs), and 68 local water districts covering job order and contract of service workers through the KaSSSama sa Coverage Program with a total collection exceeding P5.5 billion.