SAN JOSE, Antique (PIA) – – The Social Security System (SSS) recently signed a memorandum of agreement with the two multi-purpose cooperatives in Antique as collection centers of SSS payments and contributions.
More than 8,000 SSS members can now pay their monthly contributions through their respective cooperatives after SSS signed partnership deals with the addition of two cooperatives in agreement with them.
It can be noted that SSS has five existing partner cooperatives in Antique namely Dao MPC, Barbaza MPC, Patnongon MPC, Pandan MPC, and Libertad MPC.
SSS President and Chief Executive Officer Rolando Ledesma Macasaet recently signed an agreement with Belison and Hamtic Multi-Purpose Cooperatives (MPC) that will allow them to accept contribution payments and facilitate the online transactions of their members who are also SSS members.
“Establishing durable partnerships with cooperatives is crucial in securing the active SSS membership of our members as well as in fulfilling member-borrowers’ responsibility to pay their monthly amortizations regularly,” Macasaet said.
In response, Susie Nermal chairperson of Belison Multi-purpose Cooperative lauded this initiative engaging and authorizing them to receive contributions and payments not only for the cooperative members but other non-members, as well.
“With this agreement, remitting contributions or paying the dues to SSS would be accessible to the grassroots”, Nermal said.
Aside from being SSS collection partners, they are also authorized to facilitate selected SSS transactions such as membership and My.SSS registrations, disbursement account enrollment, and online submission of benefit and loan applications.
“In providing such assistance to its members, the cooperatives may claim a service fee of P6.00 from SSS for every processed and approved transaction,” Macasaet added.
He also shared that more than 2,000 co-op members who do not have SSS membership will be registered as SSS members as part of the agreement.
Through the Antique-based cooperatives, he said SSS could ensure the social security protection of their members, primarily farmers, fisherfolks, government employees, and businessmen.
In addition, Macasaet and other SSS top officials also met with over 100 employers, barangay officials, self-employed members, and local media practitioners in a Stakeholder’s Forum held at the Eagles Place Hotel.
Also present during the forum were Antique District Representative Antonio B. Legarda Jr. and Senator Loren B. Legarda who pledged to subsidize the one-month SSS contributions of nearly 4,720 barangay officials of Antique amounting to P2.6 million. (EAD-PSM-PIA Antique/SSS)
