Job Order (JO) hirees from the Central and Branch Offices attended a free seminar on the Self-Employed Coverage Program of the Social Security System (SSS) for Government Job Order and Contract of Service Personnel under a Salary Deduction Scheme, held via Microsoft Teams on March 2.
Carlo Villacorta, Department Manager III of the SSS Professional Sector Department discussed the coverage of self-employed persons, social security and employees’ compensation benefits, registration of JO as self-employed, loan programs and recent SSS policies.
Once they are SSS members, the JOs can have access to financial assistance during times of contingencies such as maternity, sickness, disability, retirement or old age, and death.
In his message, Administrator/CEO Robert Victor G. Seares Jr. said the activity is in line with his priority programs to promote the interest of the JO workers by granting them the maximum benefits that they can avail under the law.
“We would also like to protect you, our employees and your beneficiaries, against events that may lead to monetary loss, at ‘yan din po ang main concern ng SSS,” he said.
Deputy Administrator for Support Services Benedicto M. Savellano commended the Administrator for said initiative, emphasizing that the orientation is very timely as the country is still in the grip of a pandemic. “To the JO workers, iba na ang handa, mag-iinvest kayo pero tiyak ang benepisyo, dahil hindi lang para sa inyo ito kundi para din sa pamilya ninyo,” he added.
Upon signing the Memorandum of Agreement with SSS, the agency will facilitate the SSS registration and regular remittance of contributions of the JO personnel, and ensure automatic deduction of the SSS monthly contributions and loan amortizations from salaries and wages of concerned employees.
The Social Security Commission, per its Resolution No. 170-s.2014 dated February 19, 2014, approved the coverage of Government Contractual and Job Order Personnel under the Self-employed Program. The JO/COS workers have option to enroll themselves in SSS as self-employed per CS- COA-DBM Circular No. 1, s. 2017.
[Kathleen Bulquerin / Photos: Melanie R. Parel]