Social Security Act of 2018: Will
OFWs gain from it?
In February
2019, President Rodrigo Duterte signed the Social Security Act of 2018. The new
law states that:
1. It will be compulsory or mandatory for all
OFWs.
2. It
will be obligatory for all OFWS both land Based and sea based, new hires and “balik-mangggawa
to pay monthly SSS contributions.
3. OFWs are included in the increment of monthly
premium from 10% - 12% (2019) à 15% (2025).
According to
draft implementing rules and regulation (IRR)
OFWs are required to pay before
leaving in order to acquire OEC.
All OFWs are obliged to pay to SSS
the sum of PhP 2,400 for land based or PhP 800 for sea based
Balik manggagawa are obliged to pay 3
month contribution (PhP 7,200) before returning to work
“employers of land based OFWs will
shoulder 8% of the premium in host-countries with bilateral agreement with the
Philippines”
THIS IS PROBLEMATIC!
Even if bilateral agreements with
host-countries exists, the extractions from employers is a failure, what so
abroad. Employers in most European host-countries are already paying
cpntributions for Social Securities of OFWs, that will double their burden.
HEAVY BURDEN FOR OFWs ABD
THEIR FAMILY
P2,400 is no mean-sum for Domestic
helpers who are majority of OFWs who earn only $400/monthly
P2,400 would
represent:
-monthly
tuition of a child -monthly utilities
bills (water, electricity, internet) for a family. -one month of groceries for the
family
-one sack of
rice
-one
or two weeks food allowance of an OFW. –a month internet ubscription and/or -a
week rental for living-out OFWsgovernem
It
is just right to maintain the èast system of voluntary OFW msmbsdship
Increase
the benefits, not the premiums
If
the true aim of the government is the welfare and well.beinf OFWs and other
sectors of citizenry, instead of contributionincrease and expansion of the scope,
the SSS and the governmeny should focus on:
Upgrading the benefits like
the promised addition of P1,000/month to pension and a more strict collection
from employers
The obligatory
SSS P2,400/month OFW obligatory contributions
is an unjust burden
The SSS inefficiency on collecting from
employers should not be shouldered by
the OFWs
There
are enough funds to increase the benefits
Our calls:
No
to the implementation of P,400 and return to voluntary SSS membership for OFWs!
Upgrade
the collection ability from employers and regain the uncollected contribution
from delinquent employer, instead of 1% monthly premium increase!
Provide
government subsidies to cover the neceary èension increase!
March
2019
150a
Ermin Garcia St. Brgy E. Rodriguez, Cubao, Q.C.
Facebook.com/Migranteinternational
(02)936-0162
