SSS President and CEO Rolando “Rolly” Macasaet has been relentlessly campaigning nationwide for the membership in a state pension fund of the 50,000 barangay captains and over half a million barangay councilors in the Philippines.
“Ang mga Barangay chairman po at kagawad are not members of the GSIS or SSS. So, ang nagyayari, after serving po as chairman and kagawads for 20-30 years, and then when they reach the age of 60: Balik po sa opisina sa inyo, naghahanap ng trabaho. (Barangay Chairmen and Councilors aren’t members of the GSIS or SSS. So, what happens is, after serving for 20-30 years, and then when they reach the age of 60: You return to the office, looking for employment,)” PCEO Macasaet addressing Mayor Benjamin Magalong during the memorandum of agreement (MOA) signing between the SSS and the Baguio City government.
PCEO Macasaet said he also discussed the issue of Barangay officials with House Speaker Martin Romualdez, prompting the latter to file a bill that sets aside part of the funding of local government units (LGUs) for the subsidy of the SSS monthly contributions for barangay captains and councilors.
“May mga government units po na nagsu-subsidize. Kasi, P570 a month lang naman. (There are government units that subsidize SSS monthly contributions because it’s only P570 per month,)” PCEO Macasaet pointed out.
“Kailangan i-miyembro natin kahit voluntary. Kahit magsubsidize ng kalahati. (We need to enroll them as SSS members, even if it’s voluntary. Even if we subsidize half of the membership premium,)” the SSS president added.
PCEO Macasaet stressed the importance and benefits that SSS membership provides for comparatively little investment.
“Ito po, isang payment pa lang, may life insurance na sila na P12,000 for P570. (With just one payment of P570, they get life insurance worth P12,000,” PCEO Macasaet explained.
Baguio City Mayor Benjamin Magalong promised to look into the SSS president’s proposal to subsidize part of the SSS monthly premium of the city’s barangay officials who are neither SSS nor GSIS members.
Meanwhile, SSS-GSIS Pensyonado (SGP) Partylist expressed full support to the efforts of SSS to ensure social services coverage to members and officials of barangays in the country.
“We at SSS-GSIS Pensyonado Parylist have been advocating that all Filipinos should become pensioners. Kasama po dito ang ating mga pinuno, opisyal, at manggagawa ng barangay. Sila po ay kabilang sa ating frontline government workers subalit hindi sila bahagi ng coverage ng GSIS [Government Service and Insurance System]. Panahon na po siguro para mabago ito.” SGP Partylist spokesperson Val Yutan said on Tuesday (September 3).
