Who would have imagined that we will reach this stage when almost all transactions are now being done online and digital? I remember in the 1990s when fax machines were the primary office equipment of every organization in sending out communication to their respective clients; the non-stop ringing of beepers whenever there is an important message received, and the heavy, chargeable cellular phones carried by business executives in their daily official transactions. Yes, those were the early days of communication technology. It is good to look back and recall how we survived using those gadgets.
It is worth mentioning that the Social Security System was one of the primary government agencies that facilitated and anticipated technological breakthroughs, which led to computerization in its systems and core processes after the computer was first introduced in the country. Its official web site www.sss.gov.ph, launched in March 1998, provides an information gateway for members and employers to easily access their records. Subsequent upgrades were also made since then, which resulted to the creation of the My.SSS account on the web site. This is a portal for members, pensioners and employers where they can access their SSS records and submit transactions online.
Among the list of services available in My.SSS include access to membership information, inquiry on contributions and loans, status of benefit claims, submission of maternity benefit notification and application (for Self-Employed/Voluntary Member/Overseas Filipino Worker only), disbursement account enrollment, submission of benefit claims, generation of Payment Reference Number for SE/VM/OFW only) for contribution and loan payment and setting up of branch office appointments.
As for our employers, they can access in My.SSS their employer information, payment history, and reimbursements. They can also submit collection lists and employment reports, certify employee’s submitted salary loan and retirement claim applications, submit employee’s maternity and sickness notifications, monitor the status of submitted sickness and maternity reimbursement claims, download R3 and LMS File Generators, file sickness benefit reimbursement and enroll their disbursement accounts.
The SSS Mobile App, a mobile digital platform/application also provides an option for our members, pensioners and employers to view their SSS records anytime and anywhere. Individuals can get their SS numbers, while members can file maternity notification and loan applications, or search SSS branch locations, among others, in the SSS Mobile App.
Now, they can do all these transactions at the comfort of their own homes and offices without having to go to the SSS branch.
Recently, we have been receiving positive figures regarding the usage of our electronic services. As of October 2021, there was a .66 million or 5.43-percent growth of total cumulative Web registrations compared to the total cumulative Web registrations in September 2021.
The total My.SSS registration by the end of October 2021 is 12.85 million, with corresponding breakdown of 95.15 percent composed of members and pensioners, while 4.84 percent are employers.
As for the SSS Mobile App, the number of downloads has also increased by 3.95 percent. More users are also downloading the App as seen by the 39.99 percent higher downloads in October 2021 compared to the same month last year. Generally, the total downloads as of October 2021 is around 21 million.
The number of member and employer transactions in October 2021 coursed through My.SSS and SSS Mobile App increased by 14.70 percent and 13.13 percent, respectively. For My.SSS, most of the member transactions are Disbursement Account Enrollment Module (DAEM)-related covering 50 percent of the total member transactions. For SSS Mobile App, almost half or 47.61 percent of the member transactions in October 2021 are related to Online Contribution Payment.
In terms of Customer Satisfaction Rating, the SSS Mobile App’s ease of use got a high rating from members, who also gave high marks as well to their My.SSS overall experience.
Aside from these, we received two awards recognizing the Innovation excellence that we have institutionalized through our Mobile App, particularly its user-friendly functionalities, flexible mobility, and secured convenience.
Last month, the SSS was awarded by the Asean Social Security Association the 2021 Innovation Recognition Award. They cited the SSS Mobile App as a noteworthy innovation designed to serve SSS members’ needs in a platform adapted to the changing technology. The ASSA considered the nearly 60 million SSS Mobile App transactions for the entire 2020, downloads of about 7.38 million in the same year, and the App’s top ranking in various app stores.
On December 1, 2021, SSS was bestowed the 2021 Digital Excellence Award for Excellence in Digital Public Aid Distribution by Globe GCash. This award is given to government units and agencies that paved the way in uplifting the lives of their constituents and clients by pioneering the use of digital financial products to help ensure safe and efficient delivery of their services.
The achievements and innovations that we have accomplished this year affirmed SSS’s commitment in providing the members with the means to enjoy the convenience of electronic financial products that will provide them with the highest level of service. We are truly humbled and honored to receive these recognitions. We will definitely be more inspired to work harder to ensure that member transactions are “Mas Pinasimple. Mas Pinadali. Mas Pinabilis.”
I wish you all a meaningful and productive week!
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.