SSS beefs up campaigns against delinquent employers

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The Social Security System (SSS) asserted that it is aggressively pursuing delinquent employers nationwide and vows to intensify further its efforts to collect their unremitted contributions.

SSS President and Chief Executive Officer Rolando Ledesma Macasaet made the statement to assure all SSS members of its commitment to pursue delinquent employers and to urge all employers to comply with their obligations of religiously remitting the social security contributions of their employees.

“Each employer is assigned to a specific SSS Account Officer (AO) whose responsibility is to ensure employers’ compliance to Republic Act 11199 or the Social Security Act of 2018, such as registration and reporting of their employees and remittance of corresponding contributions to SSS,” Macasaet explained.

He added that Statements of Account (SOAs) are prepared regularly, which leads to the conduct of payroll audits whenever discrepancies are discovered. Billing letters are then sent to the employers who are obliged to settle as soon as possible or within the payment deadline.

Errant employers will receive a demand letter from SSS which could lead to the filing of a case assuming the persistent non-compliance by the employer.

SSS intensified its Run After Contribution Evaders (RACE) campaigns, which aim to compel delinquent employers to comply with the law by issuing a Notice of Violation and instructing them to report to SSS within 15 days or face legal consequences.

“Even though we are aggressively pursuing delinquent employers, we still offer them some relief through our contribution penalty condonation programs for their consideration so that penalties may be waived if they are deemed eligible,” he said.

“SSS is also continuously reconciling and updating its records since we discover that several employers sometimes neglect to update the list of their employees in the SSS records resulting in overstated SOAs being issued by SSS,” Macasaet said.

SSS issues hundreds of thousands of SOAs and billing letters, which have to be later classified depending on actions taken by SSS and/or the concerned employer.

SSS regularly coordinates with state auditors toward fairness in the presentation of financial statements as well as in assessing compliance with pertinent laws, rules, regulations, and policies or procedures. State auditors’ observations, recommendations, and reports help drive continuous efforts to improve SSS operations.

Meanwhile, Macasaet ensures stakeholders that SSS is financially capable of continuously paying benefits and granting loans to its members and pensioners as its cash flows remain healthy, with revenues outpacing expenditures.

INDX3 Summit 2023: Pioneering the Future of the Digital Economy with FinTech Alliance.PH

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The highly-anticipated INDX3 Summit, an annual gathering of the country's forward-thinking fintech industry leaders, is set to take place on August 7 to 8, 2023 at Shangri-La The Fort, Taguig City.

Themed "Creating What's Next In Digital: Dare-Drive-Defy”, the summit promises to be a monumental convergence of expertise and insights with the digital industry’s shakers and movers including regulators and policy makers, leaving a lasting impact on the industry.

The INDX Summit has gained recognition for shedding light on the remarkable growth and progress of the FinTech industry, both in Southeast Asia and globally. The event is in collaboration with esteemed partners, including the Department of Finance, Bangko ng Sentral ng Pilipinas, Securities and Exchange Commission, Insurance Commission, Department of Information and Communications Technology, Department of Trade and Industry, Credit Information Corporation, National Privacy Commission, and Anti-Money Laundering Council. In addition, global partners such as Mastercard, Singapore Fintech Association, Korea FinTech Industry Association, ASEAN Innovation Business Platform, Gorriceta Law, GCash, Finscore, S&P Global, Brankas, Netcore, and InvestHK are supporting the annual event.

The INDX3 Summit 2023 will focus on fostering the country's thriving digital economy within the FinTech sector by bridging the gap between customers and advanced technological innovations. It will explore the vital role of emerging discoveries in driving transformative progress in today's digital economy. Moreover, the summit will delve into the safe, convenient, and efficient utilization of digital innovations and assets by industry players while helping consumers adapt to the rapidly-growing digital transformation era.

Taking the lead in this groundbreaking event is Fintech Alliance.Ph, the country's largest collaboration of strategic digital finance players and start-ups, collectively responsible for over 90 percent of fintech-initiated financial transactions volume. Fintech Alliance.Ph aims to reshape the Philippines' digital economy by building and expanding a sustainable digital financial ecosystem, with a focus on benefiting every Filipino, especially the underprivileged. Recently, Fintech Alliance.Ph launched the country's first nationwide, multi-stakeholder, industry-led consumer education and cybersecurity awareness campaign in partnership with Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas, dubbed #WagMagpalokoMagingScamAlerto.

"This highly-awaited gathering of the Philippines' top visionaries, thought leaders, industry figures, and trailblazers signifies the immense power of collaboration and the historic progress we have made and continue to make in the fintech industry," said Lito Villanueva, founding chairman of FinTech Alliance PH. He added, "The past three years for the fintech industry have been challenging, but we've come out of it stronger, better, and more determined than ever to celebrate our successes and pursue our goals for the digital transformation and betterment of our nation."

To register for the INDX3 Summit or become a Fintech Alliance member and enjoy exclusive benefits, interested individuals can visit: https://fintechalliance.ph/navigate-the-digital-economy/



About Fintech Alliance.PH

FinTech Alliance.PH, the Philippines' premier and largest digital and fintech association, is composed of startups and unicorns that account for over 90 percent of digital-initiated transactions volume in the country. It has published the first Taxonomy of FinTech in the Philippines and institutionalized ASEAN’s pioneering industry-led Code of Conduct and Code of Ethics. For more information, visit https://www.fintechalliance.ph/.




Caption for the group photo:



(Left to right): Mags Fetalino III of Entrepreneur in Residence, Edison Tsai Executive Director of SeedIn Technology Inc.,

Atty. Mark Gorriceta Managing Partner of Gorriceta Africa Cauton & Saavedra,

Zdenek Jankovsky Executive Director of Home Credit, Lito Villanueva Executive Vice President and Chief Innovation and Inclusion Officer for RCBC, Ida Tiongson CEO, Opal Portfolio Investments Inc. and Director of Prulife Uk Ph, Martha Borja Country Head of Grab, Angelo Madrid Maya Bank President, Arianne Ferrer External Affairs Director of Tala Financing.

31st Grand AdClash unlocks new milestones, ends with groundbreaking success

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The 31st Grand AdClash, Polytechnic University of the Philippines’ (PUP-DAPR) most prestigious Integrated Marketing Communications (IMC) case competition, officially marked its victorious end last July at SM City Manila, defying all the challenges of the return to physical implementation with utmost precision.

In collaboration with TechLife, this epic event, entitled “Smarter Ways: Tech Solutions for Everyday Life," was dedicated to pushing the Senior students’ capabilities and exploring new frontiers in delivering brilliant campaigns. This year, the Grand AdClash was able to provide a platform for young talents to showcase their creative and innovative ideas, put their expertise to the test, and represent a new generation of PUP-DAPR pride.



31st Grand AdClash Recap

Four competing teams, consisting of BILIB1D (BAPR 4-1D), AN1NAG (BAPR 4-1N), BRAVADOS (BAPR 4-2D), and AGTRESIBO (4-3D) have stood on the 31st Grand AdClash stage with their heads held high and bravely pitched out their comprehensive IMC campaigns, fueled by over three months of rigorous preparations.

Among the personalities these skillful teams had to impress are some of the industry's seasoned leaders with keen mastery in Advertising and Public Relations: Ms. Patricia Gonzales, IMC Lead at TechLife; Mr. Jimmclaude Gayo, Product Marketing Manager at TechLife; Ms. Margie Flores-Husmalaga, Media Manager at GIGIL; Ms. Shea Iris Samonte, Art Director at Propel Manila; and Mr. John Caparros, Media Relations Lead at PRecious Communications. These esteemed individuals served as the panel of judges, who blazed the competition with their unparalleled wisdom.

Attended on-site by over 300 high-spirited individuals in support of their bets, SM City Manila was filled with a high level of enthusiasm and loud chants as it hosted this year’s clash of brilliance. Meanwhile, the unwavering support for the Grand AdClash extended through social media as well, with the event livestream garnering a whopping 6.6K peak views, 1.4K engagements, and 239 shares.

With all these, the 31st Grand AdClash has shown to have reached new heights of groundbreaking success, providing the department with another remarkable milestone to take pride in.



31st Grand AdClash Hailed Victors

Each team was able to make a positive impression on the panel of judges, but only one among them reigned supreme and advanced to the coveted top spot.

In a blazing showdown of creativity and brilliance, AGTRESIBO emerged as the Grand Champion during the 31st Grand AdClash. With an exceptional display of innovative ideas and cutting-edge strategies, AGTRESIBO captured the hearts of the judges and the audience. Their 360° IMC campaign presented ingenious ideas that focused on driving brand awareness and brand recall, showcasing on-point solutions for TechLife's marketing challenges.

AGTRESIBO also dominated in most categories of the special awards. Their campaign garnered multiple awards, including Best in Social Media Activation, Best in Offline Activations and Events, Best in Print Advertisement Materials, Best in Radio Advertisement, and Best in IMC Campaign. Moreover, one of the team’s members, Mark Jonnie Lapidez, was able to clinch the Best Male Presenter award.

On the other hand, BRAVADOS and BILIB1D have placed 1st and 2nd runner-up respectively, with BRAVADOS bagging home two special awards, such as Best in Television Advertisement and Best in Jingle. Meanwhile, AN1NAG was hailed as the consolation prize awardee during the said competition.



31st Grand AdClash Trusted Allies

Together with the impressive roster of brand sponsors, organizations, and media partners, the success of the 31st Grand AdClash was made possible.

Leading in the lineup are SUNNIES Face and SUNNIES Studios, who are the official Major Brand Sponsors for this year's Grand AdClash. Their generous support boosted the event's pursuit to provide an epic experience for all the individuals involved in the event.

Other esteemed brand sponsors who were behind the triumph of the event include Mister Potato, Everything But Cheese (EBC), Perfumo Scents, Queen Mani, and NutriAsia. Media partners include IKOT.PH, Edge TV Philippines, Wazzup Pilipinas, Manila Bulletin, LionhearTV, SparkUp, Explained PH, Green Giant FM, The Philippine Star, and PressONE.PH also made a big contribution in amplifying and echoing the event for a broader reach.

Different academic organizations within and beyond PUP extended their utmost support as well: Advertising and Public Relations Organization of Students (ADPROS), the PUP College of Accountancy and Finance Student Council (PUP-CAF SC), the Bulacan State University Advertising Guild, Radyo Katipunan 87.9 FM, the PUP College of Communication Student Council (PUP-COC SC), DZMC – Young Communicators’ Guild, and the PUP Journalism Guild, have enthusiastically joined this pursuit. Additionally, partnerships with Mapua Radio Cardinal, The Communicator, Laurel Publication – Bulacan State University Sarmiento Campus, P1NTIG, S1DLAK, and UniDOS.

Culminating brilliance and excellence continues as the Grand AdClash stands ready for another round of clash in the following year. Stay updated about the next edition of the Grand AdClash by following its social media accounts. For inquiries and interest about future collaboration, you may reach out through email at grandadclash.pup.coc.dapr@gmail.com. Until the next clash!