LEGAZPI CITY – At least 194 job order (JO) and contractual workers of the Department of Labor and Employment in Bicol (DOLE-5) will now be covered by the Social Security System.
Jeanette Mapa, SSS-Legazpi spokesperson, said in an interview on Wednesday that the coverage will be under the KaltaSSS-Collect Program made possible by a memorandum of agreement (MOA) inked by the two agencies on Monday.
"The KaltaSSS-Collect Program offers an automatic salary-deduction scheme of the monthly SSS contribution of the covered JOs and contractual workers that will be registered as self-employed members of the SSS, while their respective employers, such as national government agencies, state colleges, and universities, local water districts, and LGUs (local government units), will be responsible (for) remitting their monthly contributions to SSS through a salary deduction scheme,” Mapa said.
She said the JO and contractual workers may now enjoy social security protection, including sickness, maternity, disability, unemployment, death and funeral benefits.
“They may also avail of loan privileges, such as salary, calamity, educational loan assistance, and housing, among others,” Mapa said.
She also said regular employees of DOLE-5, who are existing SSS members by virtue of private employment or self-employment, may continue to pay their contributions.
"The regular members can pay their contributions as voluntary members, by which we (SSS) will extend assistance for the remittance of their preferred monthly SSS contributions," she said.
Aside from the KaltaSSS-collect program, the agency will also provide free seminars and information dissemination activities on the benefits, loan privileges and other SSS programs for regular, JO and contract of service (COS) employees of DOLE-5. (PNA)