SSS opens condonation plan for 132,000 delinquent employers

MANILA, Philippines — Over 132,000 employers that did not remit their employees’ correct contributions stand to benefit from its ongoing condonation program under its new charter of the Social Security System (SSS) on Sunday, SSS officer-in-charge Aurora C. Ignacio said on Sunday.

The state-run pension fund expects to collect P10.7 billion in unpaid premiums based on established collectibles from the one-time, big-time condonation program mandated under the Social Security Act of 2019, or Republic Act No. 11199, which was approved last month by President Rodrigo Duterte.

The six-month condonation program began when the law took effect on March 5 and will end on Sept. 6.

The SSS had already started accepting applications — through letters of intent coming from delinquent employers — for the condonation program.

Also, the new Social Security Commission (SSC), the SSS governing board, met for the first time last March 13 and approved the circular through which the pension fund can collect delinquent contributions without penalties during the offer period.

“About P13.9 billion-worth of penalties are expected to be waived if the employers tagged as delinquent will file and avail themselves of the condonation program,” the SSS said.

The SSS quoted the SSC ex-officio chair, Finance Secretary Carlos G. Dominguez III, as saying that about 1.4 million private workers would get the chance to have their unpaid contributions completed by delinquent employers.

“This is good news for employees of delinquent employers who may soon avail of the condonation program and make themselves compliant with the social security law. As much as possible, we want to avoid lengthy judicial processes,” Dominguez said.

“SSS contributions are savings for the future and hardworking Filipino workers deserve to benefit from the contributions employers are duty-bound to remit throughout their productive years,” he said.

It was also during last week’s SSC meeting that Ignacio was appointed as SSS officer-in-charge after its former president and chief executive, Emmanuel F. Dooc, tendered his irrevocable resignation.

Ignacio was previously the SSC chairperson prior to the approval of RA 11199, which then installed the Department of Finance secretary as the new chair.

The first woman to head the SSS governing board, Ignacio slid down to commissioner when Dominguez took her place last March 5.

Iganacio was assistant secretary for special projects in the Office of the President and focal person for the Duterte administration’s anti-illegal drugs campaign prior to her SSS stint.

Given the election ban, the President cannot appoint a new SSS president and chief executive just yet, but Inquirer sources said eventually appointing Ignacio as permanent head of the state-run pension fund was not far-fetched. /atm