Part Two
Aside from Social Security Commission (SSC) Chairman Amado D. Valdez and Vice Chairman and Social Security System President and CEO Emmanuel F. Dooc, the other members of the SSC include Labor Secretary Silvestre H. Bello III, who sits in an ex-officio capacity.
A seasoned lawyer and human-rights advocate, Bello has always been a worker for peace and a longtime public servant. In fact, he has unselfishly served the government under four presidents in various capacities. During the time of President Corazon C. Aquino, he was named undersecretary of the Department of Justice (DOJ) from 1986 to 1991, then appointed secretary until 1992. He served as solicitor general for two years during the term of President Fidel V. Ramos, and again as justice secretary in 1998. Under the administration of President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo, he was tasked to lead the government panel in talking peace with the Communist Party of the Philippines-New People’s Army-National Democratic Front—a post he held for a few years. Under the administration of President Duterte, aside from getting assigned with the task of negotiating for lasting peace, he was also entrusted to lead the charge to end endo, illegal contractualization and ensure industrial peace.
Another members of the SSC who share the responsibility in the governance of the SSS in terms of providing policy directions, monitoring and overseeing management actions pursuant to the powers and duties granted under Republic Act 8282 (Social Security Act of 1997) is Diana Pardo-Aguilar. Aguilar sits as the chairman of the Investment Oversight Committee that oversees the SSS investment-reserve fund, amounting to P465 billion as of October 2016, and the Information Technology Committee. She is, likewise, a member of the Risk Management Committee and a resource person of the Audit Committee. As chairman of the SSS’s Investment Oversight Committee, Aguilar sets the direction in making strategic initiatives and policy reforms, which contributed to generating a higher ROI in the investment performance of the SSS. Some of these reforms are synchronizing the renewal of accreditations, amending pertinent policy guidelines to enhance the transparency in the selection of brokers and governance of investible funds.
Another member of the SSC is Arthur L. Amansec, founder and first national president of the Christian Labor Organization of the Philippines. He is an experienced labor lawyer and a longtime labor arbiter prior to his appointment to the SSC. As commissioner, he chairs the Governance, Organization and Appointments Committee, and is a member of the Committee on Coverage, Collection and Other Related Matters, and Investments Oversight Committee.
Michael G. Regino was appointed to the SSC in October 2016, representing the public sector. He sits as a member of three SSC Committees: SSC-IT (Information Technology) Committee, Committee on Coverage, Collection and Other Related Matters and Governance, Organization and Appointments Committee. Regino has more than 30 years of corporate experience in various fields, including subdivision development, housing construction and property management, among others, where he conceptualized, organized, developed and successfully operated these enterprises in a harmonious and non-unionized working environment.
As a result, these enterprises directly created over 3,000 professional and labor-intensive employment and indirectly produced another 5,000 work opportunities.
Aside from his present job as social security commissioner, he also serves as the president and member of the board of directors of San Agustin Services Inc., Agata Mining Ventures Inc., and Exploration Drilling Corp.; senior vice president and COO of St. Augustine Gold and Copper Ltd.; and executive director of TVI Resources Development Phils. Inc. He, likewise, sits in the board of directors of Nationwide Development Corp., as well as of KingKing Mining Corp., where he is in charge of Davao operations.
Jose Gabriel M. La Viña was appointed member of the SSC in November 2016. He currently chairs the SSC Audit Committee, as well as the Media Affairs Committee and is a member of the Investment Oversight and Risk Management Committees.
Prior to his appointment to the SSC, La Viña was the social-media director of the Duterte 2016 presidential campaign and a member of its Media Central and Communications Group. He has behind him 32 years experience as founder and CEO in various industries, including home-mortgage brokerage, real estate, cooperative banking, technology, auto sales, supply-chain management, hospitality and music entertainment.
Gonzalo T. Duque, a most outstanding Pangasinense, most outstanding public servant, most outstanding educator, most outstanding youth leader and most outstanding Bedan, sits as chairman of the Coverage, Collection and Other Related Matters Committee and a member of the Media Affairs Committee. Duque began his professional career by working as a hearing officer in the Securities and Exchange Commission (1980-1981). He was later elected as Pangasinan vice governor (1987-1992), was part of the Philippine Overseas Employment Administration (POEA) as Director IV (1994-1996) and then deputy administrator (1996-1998), and acted as consultant of the House of Representatives Committee on Education (2005), and of the Commission on Higher Education (2009).
Duque is currently the chancellor of Lyceum Northwestern University (LNU) and the chairman of the Dagupan City Water District. He is also the chairman of Dagupan City Peace and Order Council, Policy Advisory Council Province of Pangasinan, Pangasinan Historical Culture Commission, Dagupan City Historical, Cultural and Arts Commission, a member of the Philippine Constitution Association, and a consultant of the Dangerous Drugs Board.
Finally, Anita Bumpus-Quitain is the other woman-member of the SSC representing the labor sector. She sits as a member of the following SSC committees: Governance, Organization and Appointment Committee; Investment Oversight Committee; Coverage, Collection and Other Related Matters Committee; Media Affairs Committee; and Audit Committee. Although still a neophyte member of the SSC, Quitain has already notched an achievement of major importance or significance, that is, by voting yes on the increase in the pension of SSS pensioners. Additionally, as an employee for 31 years of the Social Security System assigned to the Region 9 office in Davao City, her major achievement as such employee was when she took charge of the operations of the then newly opened SSS Representative Office in Digos City, Davao del Sur, as officer in charge. She stayed there for five years.
All SSC members have quasi-judicial functions through the decisions rendered in the evaluation of cases involving disputes on SS coverage, benefits, contributions and penalties.
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For more details on SSS programs, members can drop by the nearest SSS branch, visit the SSS web site (www.sss.gov.ph), or contact the SSS call center at 920-6446 to 55, which accepts calls from 7 a.m. on Monday all the way to 7 a.m. on Saturday.
Susie G. Bugante is the vice president for public affairs and special events of the SSS. Send comments about this column to susiebugante.bmirror@gmail.com.