Over 27,000 workers to benefit from wider access to SSS services

MANILA, Philippines - More than 27,000 workers from Metro Manila and parts of Luzon will benefit from wider access to Social Security System (SSS) services following the pension fund’s accreditation of a non-government organization (NGO) assisting the urban poor.

In a statement, the SSS said it signed a servicing partner agent (SPA) agreement with Kasagana-Ka Development Center, Inc. (Kasagana-Ka) to reach out to the latter’s  over 24,000 member-beneficiaries.

It also signed SPA and collecting partner agent (CPA) agreements with the Baguio Vegetable Retailers Savings and Credit Cooperative (BAVESCO), which had more than 3,700 members as of end-June this year.

“SPAs can accept SSS membership, loan and funeral benefit applications to help their members file these without going to an SSS office. Meanwhile, CPAs can collect and remit contributions and loan payments of their own members, making active SSS membership easier and more convenient for these workers,” said Judy Frances See, SSS senior vice president for Account Management.

The new partnerships with organizations are part of SSS initiatives to provide social protection to millions of workers, especially those from marginalized sectors, and address concerns such as limited access to SSS offices and members’ lack of time and resources to handle SSS transactions on their own.

Kasagana-Ka is a social development NGO that has assisted over 20,000 families, mostly from the urban poor sector. While headquartered in Quezon City, it also has field offices in Metro Manila and neighboring provinces such as Bulacan, Laguna and Cavite. BAVESCO, a duly registered cooperative operating in Baguio and Benguet, provides affordable loans, goods and other services to its vendor-members.

It implements an efficient collection system for membership dues and loan amortizations, which the cooperative will also use for the SSS payments of its members.

“SPAs and CPAs are paid a processing fee for every successful SSS transaction, enabling them to earn additional income, and at the same time, advance the welfare of their members by serving as channels for their active SSS membership. These factors further spark the interest of organizations into partnering with SSS,” See said.