As part of its mandate to implement welfare programs for overseas Filipino workers (OFWs) and their families, the Overseas Workers Welfare Administration (OWWA) partners with other government agencies. One of these is the Social Security System or SSS.
Created by virtue of Republic Act No. 1161 or the “Social Security Act of 1954,” the SSS is a social insurance program for workers in the private, professional, and informal sectors. As SSS members, they are entitled to many benefits, including maternity, sickness, disability, retirement, and more.
Vision, Mission, and Corporate Values
The SSS envisions “a viable social security institution providing universal and equitable social protection through world-class service,” the agency’s official website states.
Meanwhile, the agency’s mission is “to manage a sound and viable social security system which shall promote social justice and provide meaningful protection to members and their families against the hazards of disability, sickness, maternity, old age, death, and other contingencies resulting in loss of income or financial burden.”
In pursuit of this vision and mission, the SSS instills the corporate values of Trust, Empowerment, and Teamwork among its staff and management.
Key Programs and Services
SSS members pay a monthly contribution based on their salaries or income. Their membership entitles them to different types of benefits, loans, and other services.
Benefits
Among the benefits that the agency provides are:
- Maternity Benefit. This is granted to female employees who are unable to work due to pregnancy and childbirth. It also applies to those who experience stillbirth/fetal death.
- Sickness Benefit. This is a daily cash allowance corresponding to the number of days a person is unable to work because of sickness or injury.
- Disability Benefit. This is a cash benefit given to a member who becomes permanently disabled, partially or totally, because of a work-related sickness or injury.
- Retirement Benefit. This is a monthly pension or lump sump provided to members who can no longer work because of old age.
- Death Benefit. This cash benefit is provided to the beneficiaries of a deceased member. It may be granted as a monthly pension or lump sum.
- Funeral Benefit. This is a cash benefit given to whoever paid for the burial expenses of the deceased member.
- Unemployment Benefit. This cash benefit is provided to employees, including OFWs and kasambahays (household workers), who become involuntarily separated from their employment.
Loans
SSS members can also avail of the following loans:
- Salary Loan. This is a privilege loan granted to qualified members who need to meet their short-term credit needs.
- Pension Loan. This is a low-interest cash loan given to retirement pensioners who have immediate financial needs.
- Calamity Loan. This loan is provided to members who have suffered from losses or damages to their houses or properties, due to a natural calamity.
- Conso Loan Program. This program enables members with past-due short-terms loans to consolidate their outstanding balances into a single loan.
Pension Booster Program
This is a provident fund that offers SSS members a competitive, safe, and tax-free savings scheme that gives them the opportunity to earn more compared to regular savings or time-deposit accounts.
Annual Confirmation of Pensioners (ACOP)
To ensure the continuous payment of their benefits, this program requires retirement pensioners to report yearly to the SSS.
Contact Information: SSS Main Office
If you have any inquiries or concerns, you can get in touch with the SSS Main Office through the following contact details:
Address: East Ave, Diliman, Quezon City, Metro Manila
Telephone: 02 7917 7777
Website: https://www.sss.gov.ph/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/MYSSSPh
Google Map:
SSS members can look forward to receiving various benefits, especially during the times they need help the most. Aside from this agency, there’s also the Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD), which also provides different types of services to Filipinos worldwide.