MANILA, (PIA) — The Social Security System (SSS) announced over the weekend that nearly 600 cameramen, production assistants, reporters, and newscasters employed on a job-order basis at People’s Television Network (PTV) will now be eligible for social security benefits.
This development comes after SSS and PTV signed an agreement on May 16 to include PTV’s job-order (JO) workers under the KaSSSangga Collect Program. The program allows government agencies to register their JO workers with SSS, who are typically excluded from coverage under the Government Service Insurance System (GSIS).
“We laud the initiative of PTV to help their JO workers secure their future and prepare for their retirement by becoming SSS members,” said SSS President and CEO Rolando Ledesma Macasaet. “We thank PTV for allowing their JO workers to get the social security protection they deserve.”
PTV General Manager Analisa V. Puod expressed gratitude for the partnership, highlighting the positive impact on long-term employees.
“This will help our JO workers, some of whom have been with the network for over a decade, save for their retirement,” Puod said.
Macasaet urged other government agencies and local government units to follow PTV’s lead.
“We encourage you to take the necessary steps to secure the future of each of your fellow government workers, especially your JO workers, through SSS membership,” he said.
Under the agreement, PTV will become an authorized SSS collection partner. This means the network can deduct monthly SSS contributions directly from JO worker salaries, streamlining the process for both employers and employees.
As SSS self-employed members, PTV’s JO workers will gain access to a range of social security benefits, including sickness, maternity, disability, retirement, funeral, and death benefits. They can also apply for SSS loan programs to address financial needs.
“On top of SSS benefits, they will also get additional coverage from the Employees’ Compensation Program (ECP) for work-related sickness, disability or death,” said SSS Senior Vice President Maria Rita S. Aguja.
Aguja, who chairs the Task Force on KaSSSangga Collect Program, noted that regular PTV employees can continue contributing to SSS as voluntary members under the program.
As of March 2024, over 430,000 JO and contract-of-service workers across various government agencies and local entities have gained social security coverage through the KaSSSangga Collect Program.
This agreement between SSS and PTV marks a significant step towards expanding social security protection for government JO workers in the Philippines. (PIA-NCR)
