President Marcos commends SSS’ new and upcoming programs and its 2022 Balikat ng Bayan Awardees

Wazzup Pilipinas!


President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr. commended the Social Security System’s (SSS’) new and upcoming programs during its 2022 Balikat ng Bayan (BnB) awarding ceremony held at the Ramon Magsaysay Hall of the SSS Building in Diliman, Quezon City on September 30, 2022.

“With programs like these, which are timely, which are sensitive, which are aware of the condition of our employees, that is then the SSS has much reason to celebrate its 65th birthday because the job that you have been doing continues to be of great value to our people. The job that you are doing is exactly the job that we have asked you to do --- to provide the safety nets, to provide guarantees for our people, when tragedies come, when crisis strikes, and when people are just going about their daily business,” he said.

President Marcos was referring to the SSS' recently implemented Contribution Penalty Condonation Programs for Business and Household Employers, and Consolidated Loan Program with Condonation of Penalty for members; and its upcoming Contribution Subsidy Provider Program, and Flexible Payment Scheme Schedule for Farmers, Fisherfolk, and other Self-Employed Individuals in the Informal Economy.

He then encouraged the SSS to always embody excellence in all that it does and put the best interest of the Filipino people above everything else in its endeavors.

In response, SSS President and CEO Michael G. Regino reaffirmed the SSS’ commitment to serve its stakeholders with utmost dedication, competence, and integrity, continuously building on its path of growth and pursuing its overall improvement for its current and future members and their beneficiaries.

President Marcos also lauded the SSS' 2022 BnB Awardees for the strong partnership they have formed with the SSS, helping the institution to carry out its mandate efficiently and smoothly.

“May this recognition inspire you and others to work more, to work even harder with the government in order to uplift the lives of our citizens,” he added.

The SSS conferred a total of 14 awards under the Top Employer, Best Collection Partner, Best Disbursement Partner, Best Media Partner, and Special Citations categories.

For Top Employer, the SSS selected BDO Unibank, Inc. for Large Accounts, and the Tahche Outsourcing Services, Inc. for Branch Accounts.

The Metropolitan Bank and Trust Company received the Best Collection Partner Award for Banks.

For Best Disbursement Partner, the SSS awarded the Philippine National Bank for Commercial Banks, and First Consolidated Bank for Thrift/Rural Bank/Electronic Money Issuers.

For Best Media Partner, the awardees are the Business Mirror for Print, DYBG 97.1 Ben FM for Broadcast, and Dr. Hilda C. Ong for Media Personality.

Meanwhile, Special Citations awardees are the Union Bank of the Philippines for Best Collection Partner - Bank; CIS Bayad Center, Inc. for Best Collection Partner - Non-Bank; Development Bank of the Philippines for Special Disbursement Partner - Philippine Electronic Fund Transfer System and Operations Network (PESONet) Sending Financial Institution; and Daily Guardian for Media Partner for Print.

Regino likewise thanked the SSS’ partners for their significant contributions to the institution.

“On behalf of the SSS, I would like to express our sincerest gratitude to all our partners, especially to the awardees, for their unwavering support that helps us continuously fulfill our mandate of providing meaningful social security protection to our members and their beneficiaries and deliver faster and more convenient services to them,” he said.

The 2022 BnB Awards is the culminating activity of the SSS’ month-long celebration of its 65th anniversary with the theme – “SSS@65: Kontribusyong Pinag-ipunan, Proteksyong Maaasahan.”

Fantastic Opportunities for Silver Investors During Economic Uncertainty

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When everyone panics during economic uncertainty, silver begins to look like an even better investment. People have been buying silver for thousands and with good reason.

Silver is abundant enough to be used in various industries, but it's still rare enough to be considered a valuable commodity. And, unlike other commodities, silver doesn't require a lot of processing before it can be used. In other words, it's a highly liquid asset.

Silver is an excellent conductor of electricity and heat, making it valuable in the electrical and electronics industries.

With all that in mind, let's talk about why silver is such a good investment during periods of economic uncertainty.

People lose faith in paper currency during economic downturns

Paper currency is indeed fiat money, which means it's not backed by a physical commodity like gold or silver. But that doesn't mean people don't have faith in it.

However, during times of economic uncertainty, that faith can be shaken. And when people lose faith in paper currency, they start looking for assets that will hold their value.

That's where silver comes in. Silver has been used as a currency for centuries and is still considered a valuable commodity.

Moreover, silver is much more abundant than gold, making it a more practical choice for use as currency.



Silver is a good hedge against inflation

When the economy is doing well, prices tend to go up. This is due to inflation when the money supply increases and each currency unit is worth less.

In other words, inflation is when your money doesn't go as far as it used to.

During periods of inflation, people tend to buy assets that will hold their value. And silver is a good choice for this since it's a valuable commodity that's not subject to the same fluctuations as paper currency.


Silver is also a good hedge against deflation

While inflation can be bad for your purchasing power, deflation can be even worse. Deflation is when prices decrease, which can be caused by various factors, such as a decrease in the money supply.

During deflationary periods, people tend to hoard cash since it will be worth more in the future.

However, this can lead to decreased economic activity since people are less likely to spend money when they know it will be worth more in the future.

Silver is a good investment during deflationary periods because it's a valuable commodity that's not subject to the same fluctuations as paper currency.



Are you convinced that silver is a good investment?

If not, you should be! Silver is a valuable commodity not subject to the same fluctuations as paper currency, making it a good investment during economic uncertainty. And Jrotbart and others make it easy to purchase silver online.

Silver isn't going away any time soon, and it's only going to increase in value as time goes on. So it's wise to invest in silver now, while the prices are still relatively low. People are now beginning to understand the value of silver and are investing in it for the long haul.

Pinoy Olympiads recall journey to winning on international stage

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Dedication, hard work and perseverance were keys to victory for the Philippine teams in international science and math competitions. 

  

After a series of wins on the international stage, students and coaches who represented the country shared their stories of competing and winning medals during the Department of Science and Technology – Science Education Institute (DOST-SEI) Media Conference presenting the 2022 Philippine Teams to International STEM Olympiads held recently at  the Philippine International Convention Center (PICC). 

 

Present during the event are representatives from the national organizers for the Philippine participation in six (6) prestigious STEM Olympiads held this year, namely:  1) the 63^rd International Mathematics Olympiad (IMO) held in Oslo, Norway; 2) 33^rd International Biology Olympiad held in Yereven, Armenia; 3) 54^th International Chemistry Olympiad held in Tianjin, China;  4)  52^nd  International Physics Olympiad held in Switzerland; 5)  34^th International Olympiad in Informatics held in Yogyakarta, Indonesia. 

 

This year, the Philippine teams bagged ten (10) bronze medals, eight (8) honorable mentions and a merit citation. 

 

Dr. Ronald Cruz, team leader to the 33^rd IBO narrated how the Philippine team’s medal haul this year is its largest since joining in 2018. Dr. Cruz also mentioned that they are planning to host the 36^th IBO in 2025.  Dr. Faith Marie G. Lagua, coach of the PH team to the 54^th IChO explained how this year’s competition was conducted. She thanked all the organizations, including DOST-SEI, for the support to the national  team.  

 

Since their first medal haul in 1999, the award streak continues for the Philippine Team to the 52^nd IPhO according to Dr. Perico Esguerra,  who also talked about the importance of finding talented students outside the usual line up of schools.  

 

Dr. Christian Paul Chan Shio, team leader of the PH Team to the 63^rd IMO and Mr. Gerard Francis Ortega, team leader to the 34^th IOI highlighted how the support of the Institute has helped them increase their reach throughout the year.  

 

All team leaders are hopeful that the participation of the Philippine Teams to the international Olympiads will be even more successful as they prepare for full in-person competitions in the years to come.  

  

DOST Secretary Dr. Renato U. Solidum, through a video message, congratulated and encouraged the students to continue aiming for excellence while honing their skills and core values as they become inspiration for other students to take interest in the breeder sciences of biology, chemistry, physics and mathematics.  

  

“The medals that you have won are fruits of your perseverance, and proof of your world-class talents. Wear it proud, fly high but keep your feet on the ground. Reach for greater heights but do not forget that your countrymen need thinkers and doers like you to become bearers of hope for your country.” 

  

Dr. Solidum also honored and recognized the efforts of the following organizers in constantly developing a rich pool of talents in STEM: 

  

  

Mathematical Society of the Philippines (MSP) 

1. Philippine Federation of Chemistry Societies, Inc. (PFCS) 
2. Kapisanang Kimika ng Pilipinas, Inc. (KKP) 
3. Philippine Association of Chemistry Teachers, Inc. (PACT) 
4. Integrated Chemists of the Philippines (ICP) 

5. Samahang Pisika ng Pilipinas (SPP) 
   

6. Samahang Pisika ng Visayas and Mindanao (SPVM) 
7. Philippine Physics Olympiad (PPO) 
8. Ateneo de Manila University (AdMU) - Department of Biology, School of Science and Engineering, 
9. Ateneo Biological Organization (BOx) 
10. National Olympiad in Informatics Philippines (NOI.PH) 

  

On the same occasion, the Youth Excellence in Science (YES) award was conferred to selected students who won in international STEM Olympiads in 2021. The awarding was led by DOST-SEI Director Dr. Josette T. Biyo, Deputy Director Engr. Albert G. Mariño and Dr. Ruby R. Cristobal, Chief of the Science and Technology Manpower Education, Research and Promotions Division of DOST-SEI. The YES medal signifies DOST’s high regard for excellence and competitiveness and is part of the Institute’s thrust to develop a culture of science in the country. The YES medals are annually awarded by the DOST secretary to young Filipinos who had significant achievements in international science and math competitions at the primary and secondary education level. 

  

Dr. Biyo also thanked the media for giving prestige and importance to the achievement of young people in STEM. She congratulated the Philippine Teams and the national organizers for an outstanding feat and highlighted the importance of recognizing and honoring STEM excellence. This is part of DOST-SEI’s mission to inspire more students to join the field. 

  

“The fact that we are excelling in these fields on the global stage says that we should increase our support in nurturing the talents of our students and to continuously recognize the significant contributions of these organizations as DOST-SEI’s partner in promoting the value of pursuing excellence in STEM.”