In a bid to provide social protection coverage to more Filipino employees, the Social Security System (SSS) has signed an agreement that will provide social security coverage and employees’ compensation (EC) benefits to Filipinos working in the Irish Embassy in Manila.
In a statement, the pension fund said that the SSS, Employees’ Compensation Commission and the Embassy of Ireland signed the memorandum of agreement, under which nine Filipino employees working in the Irish Embassy would become covered employees with the Embassy of Ireland as their employer. In return, the Embassy would shoulder the employer share of their workers’ monthly SSS contributions. Likewise, the Embassy would also shoulder the EC contributions of its employees.
SSS president and chief executive officer Rolando Macasaet explained that under Republic Act No. 11199 or the Social Security Act of 2018, Filipino employees working in any foreign government, such as embassies and consulates, and those employed in international organizations, are exempted from compulsory SSS coverage.
“However, embassies and consulates may enter a pact with the Philippine government to include their employees in social security coverage,” he said.
“We want to thank the Irish government for initiating this agreement. It is a kind gesture that will ensure that our fellow Filipinos working in the Embassy will have a safety net during times of emergencies,” he added.
