SSS to offer calamity assistance to members, pensioners affected by Typhoon Odette

Wazzup Pilipinas!?



The Social Security System (SSS) will offer a Calamity Assistance Package to members and pensioners affected by Typhoon Odette starting January 14, 2022.

SSS President and Chief Executive Officer Aurora C. Ignacio said that the Calamity Assistance Package consist of the Calamity Loan Assistance Program (CLAP) and Direct House Repair and Improvement Loan for members, and the three-month advance pension for pensioners in areas affected by Typhoon Odette as declared by the National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council (NDRRMC).

Members and pensioners in MIMAROPA, Western Visayas, Central Visayas, Eastern Visayas, Northern Mindanao, and CARAGA, as well as other areas that may be declared by the NDRRMC to be under the state of calamity due to typhoon, can avail of the SSS Calamity Assistance Package.

“It is unfortunate that the recent typhoon affected the daily lives and livelihood of our members and pensioners in these several areas. Through the SSS Calamity Assistance Package, we can extend financial aid to our members and pensioners as they try to recover from the effects of Typhoon Odette," Ignacio said.

SSS will offer the CLAP for its members and the Three-month Advance Pension to its pensioners until April 13, 2022. Meanwhile, the Direct House Repair and Improvement Loan will be open to qualified members for one year upon issuance and effectivity of SSS Circular No. 2021-020.


Calamity Loan Assistance Program

Under the CLAP, qualified members can avail of a loan amount equivalent to one month salary credit (MSC) computed based the average of their last 12 monthly salary credits (MSCs) rounded up to the nearest thousand or the amount they applied for, whichever is lower.

To qualify, affected members must meet the following requirements:

Have a My.SSS account at www.sss.gov.ph;
Have at least 36 monthly contributions, six of which should be posted within the last 12 months before the month of filing of application;

A resident of a calamity-stricken area declared by the NDRRMC and suffered damage or loss to their properties due to Typhoon Odette;

Have not been granted any final benefit such as permanent total disability or retirement;
Have no outstanding Loan Restructuring Program (LRP) or CLAP; and
If employed, the member’s employer must certify the CLAP application through online My.SSS facility.

Interested members can apply for CLAP using their respective My.SSS account.


Approved loan proceeds will be credited to member-borrower’s account through the members’ registered Unified Multi-Purpose Identification (UMID) – Automated Teller Machine (ATM) Card, their active accounts with a Philippine Electronic Fund Transfer System and Operations Network (PESONet) participating bank, or their Union Bank of the Philippines (UBP) Quick Cards registered in the Disbursement Account Enrollment Module (DAEM), which can be found on their My.SSS accounts.

The loan is payable in equal monthly installments for 24 months or two years. It has an interest rate of 10% per annum, and the service fee of 1% of loan amount is already waived.

The first loan amortization will start in the second month following the date of the approval of the loan. For example, their loan was approved on January 21, 2022. They will start paying their loan amortization by March 2022. On the other hand, the loan’s payment deadline is every last day of the month following the applicable month, but in case it falls on a weekend or holiday, payment may be made on the next working day. Late payments will incur a 1% penalty per month.


Three-month Advance Pension

Retirement, disability, and survivor pensioners under the Social Security (SS) Program, and disability and survivor pensioners under the Employees’ Compensation (EC) Program pensioners may apply for a three-month advance pension. Interested SS and EC pensioners must be residents of the typhoon-affected areas declared by NDRRMC

To apply, they must submit a properly accomplished Application for Assistance Due to Calamity/Disaster Form duly certified by their Barangay Chairman; or the said form together with a certification from the Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) or NDRRMC to any SSS branch. They can download the application form at www.sss.gov.ph or click this link: https://bit.ly/AdvancePensionForm.

However, retirement pensioners who have existing loans under the Pension Loan Program (PLP) are disqualified from availing of the three-month advance pension.


Direct House Repair and/or Improvement Loan

SSS also extends financial assistance to its members whose houses were damaged or destroyed due to Typhoon Odette. Qualified SSS members may apply for the Direct House Repair and/or Improvement Loan. Under this, they can borrow a maximum loanable amount of up to P1 million.


To qualify, affected members must meet the following requirements:

Have a total of 24 monthly contributions, three of which should be posted within the last 12-month period before the month of filing application;

Not more than 60 years old at the time of filing of application;

Have not been previously granted a House Repair and/or Improvement Loan by the SSS; and

Have not been granted any final SSS benefit nor was refunded SSS contributions.

The member and his/her spouse must be up-to-date in the payment of all other existing loans with the SSS.

It has an interest rate of 8% for loans amounting to up to P450,000, while for those over P450,000, the interest rate is 9%. SSS has also waived the processing fee for the said loan.

Member-borrower will have a six-month moratorium for the loan’s monthly amortization and interest payments. They will only start paying their loan amortization of the 7th month from its approval and is payable in equal monthly installments.

Moreover, loan term will be in five, 10, 15, or 20 years, plus the moratorium of six months. However, the term must not exceed the economic life of the house or improvement after the repair and/or improvement were introduced (to be determined by the SSS) as well as the difference between the age of the applicant and 65.

Interested applicants can file their loan applications at the Member Loans Department in the SSS Main Office for those in the NCR, or the Housing and Acquired Asset Management Sections located in SSS San Pablo for those in Southern Luzon, SSS Cebu for those in Central Visayas, SSS Bacolod for those in Western Visayas, SSS Davao for those in Southern Mindanao, SSS Cagayan De Oro for those in Northern Mindanao, and SSS Zamboanga for those in Western Mindanao.

SSS has allotted P2.18 billion for the implementation of the Calamity Assistance Package, which will benefit an estimated 236,509 active members and pensioners in the typhoon-affected areas.

For more information, visit the uSSSap Tayo Portal at https://crms.sss.gov.ph, follow the SSS on Facebook at “Philippine Social Security System - SSS,” Instagram and YouTube at “mysssph,” Twitter at “PHLSSS,” or join its Viber Community at “MYSSSPH Updates.”

Olympic and War Hero's Heirs Give Food Support to Ilocos Hometown

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Residents in Piddig, Ilocos Norte — the hometown of the first Filipino Olympic medalist Teofilo Yldefonso — received a surprise treat from the heirs of the late sports legend and war hero: free Chooks-to-Go chicken.

Capt. Raul Yldefonso, who represented the descendants of the heroic swimmer, said his grandfather would have also wanted to share to the less fortunate any blessings he received.

Last year, Chooks-to-Go operator Bounty Agro Ventures, Inc. (BAVI) committed to honor Yldefonso’s "patriotism and contribution to Philippine sports" by giving his heirs regular supply of Chooks-to-Go chicken.

"This is our simple way of giving tribute to our first Olympic medalist, Teofilo Yldefonso, who was also a World War II hero," said BAVI President Ronald Mascariñas. "Yldefonso endured the Bataan Death March and later died in a concentration camp. We are happy that his example of being a true Manok ng Bayan with true love for country continues among his descendants today."

Yldefonso was the country’s first-ever Olympic medalist, winning bronze in the 200m breaststroke event of the 1928 Summer Games in Amsterdam.

He repeated the feat four years later in Los Angeles as he became known as the “Ilocano Shark” and “The Father of the Modern Breaststroke”.

In 2021, BAVI honored Filipino Olympic greats with various rewards, such as regular supply of Chooks-to-Go vouchers, and even Chooks-to-Go outlets. Among those who received this bounty were Eumir Marcial, Roel Velasco, Onyok Velasco, and the late Leopoldo Serantes. The company was later conferred the Arete Award by the Philippine Olympians Association for its remarkable support to outstanding yet oft-forgotten Olympians.

DOTr ASec Goddes Hope Libiran gets mocked by netizens after she reported her maid who allegedly stole her jewelries and cash

Wazzup Pilipinas!?

Department of Transportation Assistant Secretary Goddes Hope Libiran reported the loss of her jewelry and cash. The items she reported, were stolen by a recently hired house helper. However, netizens can't help but make fun of her misfortune, often comparing the incident, of how her helper robbed her, to how Bongbong Marcos, the son of a dictator, is getting away with more serious crimes (his family being thieves of the country's coffers during the reign of his father and former president Marcos Sr. but is still being projected by "loyalist" supporters as innocent.

"Nagpa-booster lang ako, pagbalik ko sa bahay, wala na lahat ng alahas at pera ko. 

Shout out sa bagong maid ko na nagpaalam lang na bibili ng bawang at sibuyas sa labas kaninang 1:30PM, pero hindi na bumalik! 

Her name is Marilou Fernandez (FB Account: Jhearjazz Senlabay, and also known as Marilou Mislang, Malou Mislang, Marilyn Morales, Malou Batuhan), 55 years old. I hired her through the Southmaids Agency. 

According to her profile, her current address is at Jenny’s Ave., Rosario, Pasig City. Her provincial address is in Mangaldan, Pangasinan. 

Iba ka, Manang. Nagmalasakit pa akong ipagamot ka kahapon dahil sa sakit mo, tapos ganito lang gagawin mo sa pamilya ko? Ibang klase ka. 

FRIENDS, IF YOU KNOW THE WHEREABOUTS OF THIS WOMAN, please let me know. NAWAWALA LAHAT NG ALAHAS AT PERA KO SA BAHAY.

Hindi sya dapat pagkatiwalaan, at lalong dapat ay maturuan ito ng leksyon. 

To my friends in the NBI and the Police Force, please help me find this person. 

To the agency, may pananagutan kayo dito. Exhaust all efforts to find this person.

What a way to start 2022."

I don't know the person but I am so sorry for her misfortune and the countless mean comments made about her. We are supposed to be the only country in Asia with a predominantly Christian population.

Netizens are implying that the DOTr official is so furious in trying to exert all effort to hunt down the maid who allegedly stole her jewelries and cash when she went out to have a booster shot, even calling out to her so called "friends" at the NBI and PNP via social media (Facebook)...as if her position will give her an edge or special treatment in resolving her case.

Words are best kept at bay until after the wrath. A government official may be best suited to address government agencies as agencies and not as “friends”. There is an undertone of padrino and batch mentality. As I’ve opined, words are best kept at bay until after the wrath.

"At least mayaman ka parin naman kahit ninakawan ka. Eh yung mga ninanakawan ng mga nasa gobyerno mahirap na nga lalu pa naghihirap."

And the jokes come pouring in, all alluding to how this administration and the "loyalists" or blind followers seem to ignore how Bongbong Marcos belongs to a family of thieves as per cases against her parents, many cases of which were already exposed and proven in court.

"Nung panahon naman po na naninilbihan si Manang ay hindi kami nanakawan. Puro paninira lang po ito kay Manang!!"

"Kapag politiko, ok lang magnakaw basta may project! 

Kapag kasambahay, hindi ok ang magnakaw kahit nakatulong naman."

Napakarami na nating kababayan ang magnanakaw na dahil sa sakit at gutom pero yung mga corrupt na nagnanakaw ito yung daoat unahin upang mabawasan naman ang nagpapahirap sa taong bayan.

"Maraming komentarista rito ang galit sa magnanakaw pero pag eleksyon iboboto pa rin ang magnanakaw. "

"Paano mo nasabing magnanakaw yung maid, may final conviction ba? Marami naman ginawa para sa pamilya mo.

Galit ka sa magnanakaw na maid pero iboboto mo may convicted cases ng pagnanakaw sa bayan."

Was there a CCTV or  video of her maid committing the crime? She could probably let the police catch the maid first then show evidence to prove the maid's guilt before posting her identity on social media.

When our previous maid did the same thing to us, police report lang ginawa namin. Hindi na namin ipinagkalat identity niya on social media dahil people can still change if properly disciplined, not humiliated in public kahit guilty pa. As the saying goes "innocent until proven guilty". Those past incidents could, as what Marcos Jr. followers have been saying "paninira lang".

ASec Goddes should not use her connections to get special treatment from her "friends" in government. Kapag ba silang government officials ay action agad, pero kapag ordinary people, suwerte kung papansinin ng mga pulis at NBI?

Mahuhuli yan kasi mataas ang katungkulan niya sa gobyerno! Kung mga walang connection ang ninakawan sorry na lang!

Also, she posted the maid's photos and identity agad on social media without getting a confirmation if she indeed stole the said items. Trial by publicity yun. Isn't she confident that the government's police force is capable of finding the culprit?

More sarcastic jokes?

"Huwag kayong manira kay Manang. Naglinis siya. Naging maayos siyang katulong sa bahay mo ASec. Cleanest house ang bahay mo. Ipagtanong mo pa sa lolo at lola mo."

"Pwede naman po siguro yung anak ni manang nalang pumalit. Kasi ang kasalanan ng magulang ay hindi naman kasalanan ng anak. Besides, madami naman nagawang maganda si Manang. Nakapagsilbi naman siya sa kanya."

"Ibabalik ng anak yung Libiran gold pag kinuha nyo naman sya as helper."

"Pake namen sa iyo. Sa taong bayan nga bilyones ang kinukulimbat ng mga pinagsisilbihan mo eh"

"At least mayaman ka pa rin naman kahit ninakawan ka. Eh yung mga ninanakawan ng mga nasa gobyerno, where you belong, mahirap na nga lalo pa naghihirap. Lol!"

Of course she can claim that in public..Malay ba natin kung umalis kasi me ginagawa sila. It is always the easiest way na baligtarin ang katulong by saying nagnakaw siya.

To be fair and end this humorous situation, let me leave you with ASec Goddess' latest post on her Facebook page:

"Sa lahat po ng naki-simpatya sa nangyari sa amin ng anak ko, maraming salamat. It could have been worse, but I am thankful that my daughter is safe, at wala pong nasaktan, by God’s grace.

I posted my experience to serve as a warning to other people. Kahit galing pa sa agency ang helper, ipa-background check ninyo ng maigi. 

Paalaala rin ito sa mga working moms gaya ko na huwag isasawalang-bahala kahit ang pinakamaliit na detalye pagdating sa pagkuha ng kasambahay. Minsan, sa sobrang busy natin sa trabaho, may mga nami-miss out tayong gawin para masiguro ang proteksyon at seguridad ng ating mga mahal sa buhay, lalo na ang ating mga anak. 

Lessons learned:

1. Huwag basta magtiwala. Busisiing mabuti ang mga dokumentong ipinapasa ng mga nag-a-apply na kasambahay bago sila tanggapin. Do a background check. Call character references. Check records with the Police and NBI. Research on social media and see if the person has been involved in the conduct of any scam or crime. 

2. Bumili ng magandang uri ng vault para paglagyan ng mga importanteng pag-aari gaya ng alahas, pera, titulo ng lupa/bahay, o gadgets.

3. Maglagay ng CCTV sa mga strategic and critical points sa inyong tahanan. Siguraduhin na mayroon kayong live view ng mga CCTVs na naka-install for easier monitoring. 

4. No matter how busy you are, do not ignore any detail that concerns the safety of your child and family.

Kung mayroon po kayong impormasyon kung saan makikita o matatagpuan si Marilyn Batuhan Delos Reyes (a.k.a. Malou Fernandez, Marilyn Morales, Marilou Navarro, Marilou Mislang, Malou Mislang), kung maaari lamang po ay pakibigay-alam po sa kapulisan o kaya naman po ay sa akin. Malaking tulong po ito. Tangay n’ya po kasi kahit ‘yung mga alahas na bigay pa ng lola, nanay, at asawa ko. ‘Yung sentimental value ng mga ‘yon, hindi matutumbasan ng kahit magkanong salapi. 

Sa lahat ng natuwa pa at hinaluan ng pulitika ang nangyari sa akin, I wish you all well. Nawa’y hindi mangyari sa inyo ang nangyari sa akin. 

Sa lahat naman po ng nag-komento at nagsabing nagnakaw ako sa kaban ng bayan, manginig kayo. Huwag ninyo akong igaya sainyo. Mag-hello na rin kayo sa Cyber libel. 

‘Yun lang po. Salamat!"

Good luck na lang sa agency where the ASec got the maid. It looks like it will definitely be in trouble as well for failing to properly screen the background of the maid.