Published January 11, 2021, 9:45 AM
At a time when everyone in the country is suffering in one way or another from the economic impact of the COVID-19 pandemic, the impending increases in the rates of Filipino workers’ contributions to the Philippine Health Insurance Corp. (PhilHealth) and the Social Security System (SSS) should be deferred until a more appropriate time for everybody.
This pandemic has caused a national recession because of the closure of so many private businesses and government economic programs. The impact on individuals and their families has made their lives so much more difficult, with many losing their jobs or forced into extended leaves.
January 11, 2021
Employer groups and workers on Monday appealed to the government to defer the increase in the Social Security System SSS contribution of members.
According to labor group Nagkaisa chairperson Sonny Matula, the national government should also contribute to SSS as per Section 20 of the Social Security Act of 2018.
“’Yung national government ay ni-require na magbibigay ng appropriations sa SSS annually pero hindi ito sinusunod ng ating gobyerno mula noong naitayo itong SSS,” Matula said.
“Ang nagko-contribute lang ay ang employer at workers mula 1957 maliban sa naunang P500,000 seed money ng SSS na nagmula sa gobyerno,” he added.
Meanwhile, Philippine Chamber of Commerce and Industry chairperson and Employers Confederation of the Philippines president Sergio Ortiz-Luis noted that the majority of the businesses were affected by the COVID-19 crisis.
SunStar
+ January 02, 2021 WE WERE warned earlier before the pandemic struck, that premium and contribution rate increases for PhilHealth and the Social Security System (SSS) would take effect at the start of 2021.
The impact of these adjustments, however, makes one wonder if these moves will help or do more harm to those already suffering from loss or reduction of income during this health crisis. The general belief is that the increases in Philippine Health Insurance Corp. (PhilHealth) and SSS contributions at this time will hurt and not help Filipinos.
The call then is for PhilHealth and SSS to put these adjustments on hold and seek alternative, even innovative, ways to keep themselves viable and able to pay their beneficiaries. Is there no other way to keep these systems afloat without their having to collect more from workers and employers?
(MANILA BULLETIN)
The groups banded under the Leaders’ Forum, a national bipartite committee, said they have submitted a joint letter to PhilHealth dated December 15, 2020, calling for urgent resolution on issues surrounding the agency that have significant impacts on member-employers and workers.
In the said letter, the Leaders Forum, composed of business organizations – Employers Confederation of the Philippines (ECOP), Philippine Chamber of Commerce and Industry (PCCI), and the Philippine Exporters Confederation (PHILEXPORT), and trade union federations, Federation of Free Workers (FFW), Sentro ng mga Nagkakaisa at Progresibong Manggagawa (SENTRO), and the Trade Union Congress of the Philippines (TUCP) – cited four main issues hounding the PhilHealth.
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