THE Social Security System (SSS) is pushing for the membership of barangay captains and kagawads or councilors serving in around 42,000 barangays all over the country.
In a statement, the pension fund said SSS president and chief executive officer Rolando Macasaet encouraged barangay officials in a recent Barangay National Congress to become SSS members and receive a lifetime monthly pension when they retire from public service.
“Many of our barangay officials and workers serve their constituents for 10 or 20 years. However, when they retire from public service, they do not get any separation pay or monthly pension. Now, through the SSS membership, we are offering you an opportunity to get a monthly pension when you retire from being a barangay official,” Macasaet said.
Macasaet told the barangay officials to secure an SS number and start paying their monthly contributions so they would automatically get social security coverage from SSS. He enumerated the benefits that include retirement monthly pension, sickness, maternity, disability, unemployment, funeral, and death benefits as well as entitlement to SSS loan programs and disability and death benefits.
Macasaet lauded the filing of a proposed measure in congress which seeks the passage of a Magna Carta for barangay officials that will empower local government units to allocate funds for the SSS contributions of barangay officials.
