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The entire Social Security System (SSS) ranks are still high from the anniversary program held last Thursday with Finance Secretary and Social Security Commission Chairman Carlos G. Dominguez III, represented by Finance Assistant Secretary Antonio Joselito G. Lambino, as keynote speaker.
Fifteen employers, organizations, and individuals that significantly contributed to the pursuit of the System’s mandate were recognized in the Balikat ng Bayan Awarding ceremony.
The SSS management accepts the challenges posed by Dominguez to improve the quality and performance of its investments, and to use modern digital tools to reduce overhead expenses and to serve its members better.
With the rapid expansion of the economy, primarily driven by the “Build, Build, Build” program under the current administration, coupled with an improved business outlook, SSS is positive that its investments will earn better this year.
In terms of using online services, SSS has started its electronic channels years back. Today, it has six electronic channels accessible to members, namely: (1) SSS web site—My.SSS; (2) SSS Mobile App; (3) Self-Service Express Terminal (SET); (4) Interactive Voice Response System (IVRS); (5) Text-SSS and (6) Contribution payments through electronic facilities.
Utilizations of these facilities have increased by 8 percent or a total of 10.54 million transactions compared to the January to June 2018 data.
For instance, My.SSS web site registered users in 2019 increased by 24 percent or 7.57 million from 6.12 million in 2018. On the other, SSS mobile downloads as of June 2019 spiked at 1.93 million or 1,125.4-percent increase since its launch in April 2018 with only 157,499 registered users.
Text-SSS was used 579,163 times as against 356,584 times last year or a 62-percent increase in the frequency of use. Electronic payment of contributions also increased to 20,484 from 8,113, a 152-percent increase since its launching in December 2015.
Users of the SET reached 1.75 million from January to June 2019. When members go to branches now, they will be diverted to SET for simple transactions like checking contributions.
The IVRS recorded a total number of 620,330 calls, a drop from the 754,135 in January to June 2018, perhaps due to shift to online inquiries of members.
All paying employers—396,686 from January to June 2019—are all Web-registered. Since we launched the Real-Time Posting of Contributions in 2018, employers are required to be Web-registered to be able to pay for their employees’ contributions.
However, there is still much to be done. Out of the 14.95 million paying members of SSS in January to June 2019, only 37 percent or 5.49 million individual members are registered on the web site as of June 2019. Similarly, out of 37.16 million transactions from January to June 2019, 26.63 million or 72 percent were over-the-counter, while only 10.54 million or 28 percent were done through electronic facilities.
The targets for 2020 have been identified. We will increase the number of Web-registered members to 8 million or an increase of 3 million from the 5.49 million Web-registered individuals as of June 2019. Alongside this, we will increase Web transactions to 32.2 million from the 10.54 million online transactions in the first six months of 2019.
Among other commitments for 2020 are additional 3 million downloads of the SSS Mobile app, and to eliminate use of checks for SSS disbursement of benefits through PESONet and other thru-the-bank programs. A standard layout of branches with expanded e-Centers will also be created that will be piloted in 33 branches nationwide. These branches will be equipped with expanded e-Centers.
There is much work to be done. But we are confident that with cooperation from our members and other stakeholders, SSS will continue to connect and protect with its anytime, anywhere service made possible through its electronic channels.
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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.