By
Dominic I. Sanchez
ZAMBOANGA
CITY – As the partnership between the Social Security System
(SSS) and the Bureau of Fisheries and Aquatic Resources (BFAR) here has been
forged, 179 job order workers of the latter are now SSS members and qualified
to avail themselves of the social protection and social security benefits.
The
SSS introduced the e-AlkanSSSya program, which will enable BFAR to deduct a
portion of the job order workers’ salaries monthly for this purpose.
“This
is a very significant development,” said BFAR interim administration and
finance chief Abubakar Abdula. “We want to give social protection to our
workers especially during times of contingencies.”
SSS
Western Mindanao Assistant Vice President Atty. Rodrigo Filoteo said “for a
little savings, you get a lot of benefits,” citing that enrollment in the
program is still completely voluntary.
According
to Atty. Filoteo, the SSS had already entered into partnerships with other
agencies of government like the Department of Social Welfare and Development
(DSWD), the Zamboanga City Water District (ZCWD), the Department of Public Works
and Highways (DPWH), Western Mindanao State University (WMSU), which have
several job order and casual workers.
In addition
to government agencies, SSS has been campaigning for the private sector
employees who are not yet members to avail of the AlkanSSSya program. Atty.
Filoteo said that the minimal contribution of P330 per month is very reasonable
with the wide array of social security benefits they can avail of.
The
SSS has also been campaigning the program to tricycle drivers’ associations,
and even penetrated inmates of the San Ramon Penal Farm. “In the event that
they finally serve their sentence and they get out, they can already avail of
the SSS benefits,” Atty. Filoteo said.
Atty.
Filoteo invited those who are not yet members to already enroll. “This is for
your future,” he added. (with reports from Shiela
May Aquino)
