SSS mounts campaign to get more OFWs

MANILA, Philippines—The Social Security System is ramping up efforts to get overseas-based Filipinos to join or be more active in the pension fund.

These include the operation of a “24 by 7” call center, establishment of additional branches abroad, and the granting of incentives for bringing in new members.

Currently, the SSS has some 724,000 OFW [overseas Filipino worker] members, or just 8 percent of the estimated 9 million Filipinos overseas.

SSS president Emilio de Quiros Jr. said in a briefing that the agency plans to expand its call-center operation to provide round-the-clock services to all its members but especially to OFWs.

“Our call center currently operates from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m.,” De Quiros said. “We want our members to be able to reach us beyond office hours, particularly those (who are living in different time zones).”

The SSS chief added that the pension fund plans to open this year up to 10 new domestic branches, as well as one each in Dubai in the United Arab Emirates and Kuala Lumpur in Malaysia.

“We are studying the feasibility of opening up these new branches,” he said. “This will help realize our goal of improving delivery of service and to be a more member-centric organization.”

Further, De Quiros said the SSS is offering “a trip back home” as well as cash prizes to active OFW members who can nominate and get new members to sign up under the “member-get-member” promo.

“It is SSS’ priority to reach out to OFWs (because) they are often excluded from social security programs of their host countries,” he said. “Ensuring their SSS coverage is a way of giving them social protection wherever they are.”

Nominators can refer new or existing members to SSS as “nominees,” but the latter must have no posted contributions for 2011.

Aside from cash prizes that will be raffled off monthly from January to June, both nominators and nominees who post six contributions during that period qualify for the grand raffle in September.

The winner gets a vacation package that includes round-trip economy-class airfare to Manila; round-trip airfare, airport transfers and hotel accommodation for a four-day stay for two on Boracay; and P45,000 pocket money.

The grand prize is convertible to P160,000 cash while the nominator with the most nominees will be awarded P50,000 in cash.