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The use of telephone in communications is perhaps one of the most significant inventions of all time. If in the past, ownership of a phone was a luxury, today, it has become a necessity for business and home use.
No less than President Rodrigo Duterte recognizes the importance of telephone in communicating with our people. Upon assumption of office, he instructed the creation of the 8888 Citizen’s Complaint Hotline.
In his last State of the Nation Address, President Duterte enumerated the five agencies that received the most number of complaints coursed through 8888 and the Contact Center ng Bayan (CCB). Unfortunately, Social Security System (SSS) was one of the five agencies mentioned by the President.
The inclusion of SSS in this list comes as no surprise since it is, perhaps, the biggest government agency with the most number of benefits—seven types of benefits to be exact, aside from loan privileges given to members.
SSS has 36 million registered members, 16 million of whom are actively paying, and the agency is processing an average number of 216,290 transactions per day in 309 branches nationwide. In addition, the pension fund serves about 2.3 million pensioners. SSS clients come from a very diverse background across all social strata.
Against this background, SSS responded to 6,129 concerns referred by Hotline 8888 and CCB in 2018. Of this number, 6,074 were resolved for a 99.10-percent resolution rate.
A majority of the concerns referred by 8888 were about claims on retirement, death, disability and funeral. When the issues were analyzed, most of the causes of delay in processing the claims were due to discrepancies in the member’s records like name or date of birth. The primary document for SSS transaction is the birth certificate issued by the Philippine Statistics Authority.
Members should also update their beneficiaries with SSS. There have been numerous cases of death claims that took time for SSS to process because the name of the spouse or legal heirs were not included in the members’ records.
Faster processing of claims and benefits in SSS is a two-way process. Members have to be vigilant in monitoring their personal records with SSS, more so, for employed members who have to religiously check if their employers are paying their monthly contributions.
Eventually, we hope too, that our members would shift to available electronic platforms.
At present, SSS services such as online application for SS number issuance, generation of the Payment Reference Number (PRN), employment report submission, submission of contribution (R-3) and loan collection lists (ML-2), salary loan application, certification of salary application, as well as filing of maternity and sickness notification, can now be made through different electronic and self-service facilities of the pension fund.
These services can be made through different electronic channels of the SSS such as the (1) SSS web site—My.SSS, (2) SSS Mobile App, (3) Self-Service Information Terminal, (4) Interactive Voice Response System and (5) Text-SSS.
Other services that may be done through these channels are filing of retirement claim applications, request for branch appointment, inquiry on the location of SSS branches, feedback submission, inquiry on SS information, Personal Equity Savings Option fund enrollment, flex-fund enrollment and requesting of records.
Apart from these member services, the SSS has also implemented the Real-Time Posting of Contributions program in 2018, wherein contribution payments are posted immediately through the use of a Payment Reference Number. When contributions are posted on time, there are no delays in claims processing.
Going back to the 8888 issue, SSS bagged the Second Best Agency in Resolution of 8888 complaints in 2018. The award was given by Linya ng Pagbabago under the Presidential Communications Operations Office (PCOO).
But even with this recognition from PCOO, SSS understands President Duterte’s desire for government offices to improve services, simplify procedures and shift to electronic transactions.
SSS started its e-services more than a decade ago but with the advent of fast-paced technologies, the journey to a full digital platform continues. After all, help today is not just a phone call away. It is also right at our fingertips with online access anytime, anywhere.
Aurora C. Ignacio is SSS president and chief executive officer.
We welcome your questions and insights on the topics that we discuss. E-mail mediaaffairs@sss.gov.ph for topics that you might want us to discuss.