BORONGAN CITY-A memorandum of agreement (MOA) was signed between the Department of Public Works and Highways Eastern Samar District Engineering Office (DPWH ESDEO) and the Social Security System (SSS) to encourage and assist contract of service (COS) and job order (JO) workers who are not coverable under the Government Service Insurance System (GSIS) Law, for social security coverage through registration as self-employed members of the SSS.
Said MOA also covered regular or permanent employees who opt to continue paying as voluntary members based on their preferred contribution.
DPWH ESDEO District Engineer Alvin Ignacio signed the MOA with SSS Senior Analyst Oliver A. Menda and Ma. Myla Lagria, a job-order employee, on May 16, 2023, at the DPWH ESDEO office.
Under the MOA, the DPWH Eastern Samar DEO shall assist its qualified regular/ permanent employees in continuing the payment of their contributions as voluntary members; to provide SSS with the list of all COS/JO personnel and regular/permanent employees who availed the service; to automatically deduct the SSS members’ monthly contributions from the salaries, wages, and fees they will receive from the office; and remit such contributions to the nearest SSS Branch.
Also stipulated in the MOA that the SSS is expected to conduct on-site registration and process the registration forms of the COS/JO personnel; regularly monitor the remittance and posting of monthly contributions of the members; provide free seminars/ information dissemination activities on the benefits, loan privileges, and other SSS programs for COS/JO personnel and regular/permanent employees of DPWH Eastern Samar District Engineering Office.
In an interview, Oliver Menda of SSS mentioned the benefits of becoming an SSS member.
“Bali damo kasi iton benefits. Mayda kita han maternity, sickness, disability, retirement, funeral, death, ngan hin employment benefits especially those who are in the field, mas maupay nga mayda nira SSS contributions kay kun magkadiano man magkakamay-ada hira benefits [Many advantages can be availed by the members such as maternity, sickness, disability, retirement, funeral, death, and employment benefits especially those assigned in fieldwork for their security because if unfortunate incidents may happen, they will received benefits],” said Menda.
Menda also disclosed that members are also entitled to loan privileges.
“Aside hiton na mga benefits, mayda sinisiring nga loan privileges, so pwede hira makapagloan ha amon an sinisiring nga salary loan. Mga two months salary loan it ira maavail. Tapos if ever mayda calamity nga umabot ha aton, pwede hira makapag apply hin calamity loan [Aside from these benefits, we also have loan privileges. They can avail the salary loan up to two months equivalent. And whenever there is a calamity, they are also entitled for calamity loan],” added Menda.
Also, Menda mentioned that the SSS would deduct 14% of the member’s salary credits to the monthly payroll, which will serve as the member’s contribution.
District Engineer Alvin Ignacio, an SSS member, supported this campaign and entered a MOA with the SSS so that employees may avail of social security services from the government, particularly those non-members of GSIS.
Before the MOA signing, the SSS had conducted an orientation for DPWH ESDEO employees last March 27, 2023. (PR)
