SSS implements online filing of Disability Claim Applications

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The Social Security System (SSS) announces that Social Security (SS) Disability Benefit claim applications can already be filed online through the My.SSS Portal since January 2023.

SSS President and CEO Rolando Ledesma Macasaet said the provision of the online facility is part of the SSS’ continuous compliance with the Ease of Doing Business and Efficient Government Services Delivery Act of 2018 through the streamlining, simplification, and automation of all its benefit processes.

"With the implementation of Online Filing of Disability Claim Applications under our Social Security Program, we are proud to say that we have finally put all SSS benefit and loan programs onto online platforms. Our members can access them at their convenience 24/7, without the need to visit our branches,” Macasaet said.

To use the online Disability Claim Application (DCA) facility, members must have a registered account in the My.SSS Portal in the SSS website at www.sss.gov.ph and a Unified Multi-Purpose Identification (UMID) Card enrolled as an ATM or an approved disbursement account in the Disbursement Account Enrollment Module (DAEM).

Members can access this facility by logging in to their My.SSS account and clicking “Apply for Disability Claim” under the Benefits Tab. The system will validate the member’s records and eligibility to the benefit upon online application, where the results will be displayed on-screen.

Qualified members will be required to upload supporting documents such as a medical certificate issued or accomplished by their attending physician within the last six months, and other documents deemed necessary by the SSS.

All DCAs are subject to medical evaluation. Members who are required to report for Physical Examination and Interview (PEI) at the Medical Evaluation Center of any SSS Branch will be given 20 days from the date of e-mail notification to comply. Otherwise, the transaction will be rejected.

Applicable notifications will be sent to the registered e-mail addresses of members such as acknowledgment of successful submission; compliance to report for PEI; approval, rejection, or denial of claim; and/or other notifications deemed necessary by the SSS.

Meanwhile, DCAs with the following conditions must be filed at any SSS Branch: (1) the member is incapacitated, under guardianship, or confined in an applicable institution such as a penitentiary, correctional, or rehabilitation institution; (2) the Portability Law or Bilateral Social Security Agreement will be applied; (3) with adjustment or for re-adjudication of claim; (4) unclaimed benefit of deceased member; and (5) other conditions/cases as may be determined by the SSS.

The SSS Disability Benefit is a cash benefit granted to a member who becomes permanently disabled either partially or totally. A member must have at least 36 monthly contributions before the semester of disability to qualify for a lifetime monthly pension, in case of total disability cases; or a monthly pension for a specified number of months for partial disability cases.

Those who have not met the said required number of contributions but have at least one monthly contribution before the semester of disability will only qualify for a lump sum disability benefit, based on the guidelines provided under the Social Security Law.

For more details about the program, members may read SSS Circular No. 2022-039 at https://bit.ly/SSSCI2022-039 or watch the eSSSkwela Webinar Episode 9 on YouTube at https://bit.ly/eSSSkwelaEP9. Other information about the SSS Disability Benefit can also be accessed in the Knowledgebase Section of the uSSSap Tayo Portal at https://crms.sss.gov.ph.

UPD-CS scientist co-invents defense vs. invasive alien species

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Shipboard personnel oversee a live demonstration of the ballast water treatment system co-developed by UPD-CS IESM scientist Dr. Benjamin Vallejo Jr. The system is just a fraction of the cost of other commercially available solutions. (Photo credit: Dr. Benjamin Vallejo, Jr.)

All over the world, cargo ships and other large vessels routinely fill their ballast tanks with seawater to help keep afloat on rough seas. This ballast water is usually released at the ship’s destination, bringing with it invasive animals, plants, microorganisms and other alien species that can devastate local marine biodiversity and coastal ecosystems.

Such invasive alien species have cost over US$1.1 trillion worth of damage worldwide between 1960 and 2022 alone, according to an international study. The cost of managing invasions has cost the world an estimated US$95.3 billion since 1960.

This global problem prompted scientists from the University of the Philippines – Diliman College of Science (UPD-CS) and the University of Cebu to invent a port water treatment system that costs just ₱12 million or only around $200,000—a small fraction of the cost of other commercially-available systems, which can run as high as US$5 million.

“Our system utilizes UV sterilization and mechanical methods to treat ballast water, and has proven promising in initial tests in decreasing the number of invasive species translocated from port to port,” said the system’s co-inventor, UPD-CS Institute of Environmental Science and Meteorology (IESM) Professor and Ballast Water and Biofouling Management Research Program Leader Dr. Benjamin Vallejo Jr.

“It complies with the IMO D-2 standard for ballast water treatment and can be used until the local industry can install its own onboard treatment systems,” he added.

This is a very timely invention considering that, in 2018, the Philippines ratified the IMO’s 2004 Ballast Water Management Convention, which imposes regulations on the proper handling and treatment of ballast water. Thus, Philippine ships constructed after 2018 are mandated to have a port ballast water treatment system. And by 2024, all ships are expected to treat their ballast water before release.

 A computer-generated mockup of the ballast water treatment system co-invented by UPD-CS IESM scientist Dr. Benjamin Vallejo Jr.(Photo credit: Dr. Benjamin Vallejo)

A closeup of the ballast water treatment system co-invented by UPD-CS IESM scientist Dr. Benjamin Vallejo Jr. (Photo credit: Dr. Benjamin Vallejo)

“We hope this treatment system will be cheaper than other costly comparable systems. Now is the opportunity for Filipino investors to break into Southeast Asia’s ballast water treatment market,” Dr. Vallejo urged.

Dr. Vallejo will discuss his alternative ballast water treatment system for ships at the upcoming iStories webinar hosted by UPD-CS on May 29, 2023. The webinar will dive deeper into the ideation process and development of the treatment system and its mass production and distribution.

iStories is a series of innovation-themed talks, storytelling, and activities featuring local and international scientists. The initiative aims to ignite the creativity and inventiveness of young scientists not just from UPD-CS but from other institutes inside and outside UP.



The third session of iStories on May 29, 2023 (Monday) will be held on Zoom.

The iStories series is scheduled for 3:00 pm every last Monday of the month. To join, you may register through this link https://bit.ly/iStories3rd. Subscription to the entire iStories webinar series is also possible through the same form.



For inquiries about iStories, please message adride_staff@science.upd.edu.ph



For interview requests and other media concerns, please contact media@science.upd.edu.ph



Sources:

Ross N. Cuthbert et al. Biological invasion costs reveal insufficient proactive management worldwide. Science of The Total Environment, Volume 819, 2022. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.scitotenv.2022.153404

Ballast Water Management. International Maritime Organization. (n.d.). https://www.imo.org/en/ourwork/environment/pages/ballastwatermanagement.aspx

Transport think tank presents ways for PH to decarbonise freight transport syste

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ITF’s recommendations, coupled with PH policies, may halve the freight sector’s carbon emissions by 2050.

Like many other countries struggling to reduce carbon emissions and meet their climate targets, the Philippines’ freight sector alone emitted around 20 million tonnes of carbon dioxide (CO2) in 2022. It is at this crucial time that the International Transport Forum (ITF) has recommended several policies to help the country decarbonise this particular sector.

Whilst the Philippines has transport policies in place, including electric-vehicle adoption, these will not be enough to bring down the CO2 emission of its freight transport, which is projected to more than quadruple in 2050.

If the Philippines only follows its current policies, the CO2 emissions of its freight emissions will grow by 151% to 50 million tonnes.

Through the ITF’s Sustainable Infrastructure Programme in Asia (SIPA), the transport think tank was able to come up with two sets of additional policies for the Philippines, one that focuses on building a green fleet, and another that promotes seamless intermodality.

The ITF unveiled its policy recommendations during its dissemination mission agenda held at the Diamond Hotel in Manila on 25 April.

The event was attended by members of the ITF led by Secretary-General Young Tae Kim, officials of the Department of Transportation, the Land Transportation Office, and the the Climate Change Commission, and private stakeholders that included Clean Air Asia and International Container Terminal Services, Inc.

Under its “Green Fleet” recommendation, ITF advised the Philippines to replace truck fleets with zero-emission vehicles. To do so, the ITF recommended the identification of use cases for early adoption of zero-emission trucks and to incentivise companies for fleet conversion.

“Supporting pilot projects and offering purchase subsidies for electric trucks can promote low-carbon technologies in road transport,” the ITF said.

It also recommended that the Philippines adopt fuel economy standards for trucks. “Fuel economy standards can promote fuel-saving measures such as aerodynamic retrofits, vehicle wish reductions, engine efficiency improvements, and hybridisation,” the ITF said.

To make a greener freight transport system, the think tank also recommended the renewal of vessel fleets. It underscored the importance of implementing differentiated port fees that depend on the environmental performance of vessels.

The second set of ITF recommendations focuses on improving the intermodality in the country’s freight transport system.

Under this area of focus, the think tank advised the Philippines to increase port capacity; decrease dwell times at cargo transfer points by streamlining and digitalising processes; and promote and incentivise asset sharing between key players

By investing in port capacity expansions and maximising utilisation of existing assets, the maritime transport sector can capture a higher modal share in the country’s freight transport system.

At best, the ITF hopes these measures, coupled with the Philippines’ current policies, could cut the local freight sector’s carbon emissions by half come 2050.

It is confident that green fleet measures, in particular, can reduce carbon intensity of freight by 61%, whilst the seamless intermodality scenario can reduce the sector’s emissions by 21%.



Adopting from others

ITF Secretary-General Young Tae Kim said the Philippines can also learn from other countries with regard to decarbonising their freight transport system, particularly from Europe.

ITF Secretary-General Young Tae Kim

“On the European Union side, they are trying to bring regulation…they are trying to ban all fossil fuel vehicles by a certain deadline…starting 2035. Interestingly, China and the United Arab Emirates, which have depended a lot on fossil fuel in the past, are also starting to introduce a new approach,” Kim told GovMedia.

Kim added that in Southeast Asia, many motorists still use fossil fuels. Many gas stations in the region also still sell 91 octane fuel, whilst, in Europe, gas stations sell 95, 97, or 98.

A 2014 study from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) showed that if the majority of light-duty vehicles run on higher-octane gasoline, the United States’ automotive industry can reduce carbon emissions by 35 million tonnes per year.

Kim said the Philippine government can also utilise ITF's tools such as the Transport Climate Action Directory, which has more than 80 mitigation measures.

“Every measure provides a rough estimation of CO2 reductions. By combining different tools, the government can expect to reach a certain point or level,” Kim said.

As much as the Philippines can adopt from other countries, Kim highlighted that there’s a lot to be learned from the Philippines as well, given that it has different modes of transport.

“These days, the important question is to know how we can complete an intermodal approach. I think the Philippines can provide the global community with their own experience, how they can make real improvement because in some countries we can only focus on land transport and sometimes maritime [transport],” Kim said.

Whilst it is still uncertain as to when the Philippines can achieve its decarbonisation goals, Kim is confident that the country will be able to reach an optimum level of improvement, especially if it focuses on technological development, behaviour change, governance, and international cooperation.

“What is important for now is that the government continues to work together with the international community. The goal should be shortening the period of change,” he added.