POPE Francis is now back in Vatican City and yet the Pope Francis effect continues to captivate the hearts of millions of Filipinos. Luis Antonio Cardinal Tagle, archbishop of Manila, called on the Catholic faithful to live out and put into action the words of the pope, who in the six homilies that he gave during his five-day visit to the Philippines, repeatedly challenged his flock to care for the poor.
Dubbed as the champion of the poor, Francis said, “The great biblical tradition enjoins on all peoples the duty to hear the voice of the poor. It bids us break the bonds of injustice and oppression which give rise to glaring, and, indeed, scandalous, social inequities.” He further stated, “There is the challenge for the poor, with your bishops. Do you think of the poor? Do you feel with the poor? Do you do something for the poor? Do you ask the poor to give you the wisdom they have?” This is a challenge for all of us Filipinos, Catholics and non-Catholics alike, to respond to the poverty, social exclusion and inequality around us.
As I listened to these words of the pope, I couldn’t help but feel grateful that I work for an institution that is a “powerful instrument for poverty reduction and social cohesion.” Just like many social-security institutions around the world, the Social Security System’s (SSS) mandate is to provide social protection against life’s contingencies that result in economic distress for the worker and his family. Such contingencies include old age, disability, death, sickness and child birth. The SSS deals with the elderly, the sick, the infirm, the widows and orphans who are oftentimes the “least of our brethren.” Being able to serve them is a great blessing!
On another note, to make SSS services more accessible to the public, a new branch in Santa Mesa is scheduled to be inaugurated at 4 in the afternoon on Friday, January 23, 2015. It is located at the second floor of J&T Building, 3894 Ramon Magsaysay Boulevard corner Santol extension road, Santa Mesa, Manila. At present, there are 3,244 employers and 22,634 employee-members under the jurisdiction of the branch. This number is expected to grow as SSS continues the coverage of informal-sector workers such as market vendors, tricycle drivers and other self-employed persons.
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For more information about the SSS and its programs, call our 24-hour call center at (632) 920-6446 to 55, Monday to Friday, or send an e-mail to member_relations@sss.gov.ph.
Susie G. Bugante is the vice president for public affairs and special events of the Social Security System. Send comments about this column to susiebugante.bmirror@gmail.com.