Benefits and Privileges of Sangguniang Kabataan Officials

In less than a month, barangays in the Philippines will be holding their respective Sangguniang Kabataan (SK) elections.  SK officials are tasked to oversee and represent the involvement and welfare of the youth in barangays all over the country.

We must remember that elected SK officials are young men and women, aged 18 to 24 years old, and are likewise attending school or are just about to start working as private or government employees.

Today, we are going to share the different perks, benefits, and privileges that are granted SK officials as a means of recognizing their efforts to represent young Filipinos in the society.

1. Free tuition and fees in public tertiary schools.
   1. These schools include state colleges, universities, and other locally-funded public educational institutions within or nearest their area of jurisdiction.
2. Exemption from taking NSTP-CWTS but must submit reports on SK work.
   1. The SK officials, however, are required to submit reports and other documentation outlining their work with the barangay.  Failure to submit will lead to the suspension of this privilege.
3. Exemption from classes on days of SK meetings.
   1. The SK secretary will issue a certificate of attendance to be submitted to the official’s teacher.
   2. Falsely certifying an attendance will be criminally and administratively held accountable.
4. PhilHealth coverage by the national government.
5. Reimbursements for official travel expenses incurred during activities related to official functions.
6. Perks of a barangay official for the SK chairperson.
   1. Under the new law, the SK chairperson also serves as an ex-officio member of the Sangguniang Barangay (barangay council).
   2. This means he or she enjoys the same privileges as the regular village councilors.  These perks include honoraria, Christmas bonus, and insurance coverage, among others.

All SK Chairpersons under one city or municipality are automatically part of the LGUs SK Federation.

Reference: www.rappler.com

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Pag-IBIG Housing Loan Programs Orientation Schedule

If you plan to apply for a Pag-IBIG housing loan soon, know that the first thing you need to do is attend a loan counseling session at designated Pag-IBIG offices.  To help you plan your trip to Pag-IBIG, here are their schedules for the said counseling session, as well as the addresses of the offices where they hold such talks:

• Every TUESDAY and THURSDAY

3/F Training Room, Kamias MSB

#795 Anchor Center, Edsa, Quezon City

(Near GMA-Kamuning MRT Station)

• Every SATURDAY

2/F JELP Business Solutions Building

409 Shaw Blvd., Mandaluyong City

• Every 2^ND SATURDAY OF THE MONTH

3/F Lecture Hall B, Legislative Building,

Quezon City Hall

• Every 3^RD SATURDAY OF THE MONTH

Rizal Provincial Capitol Multi-purpose Hall

Antipolo City

All orientations are scheduled to start at 9:00AM and will end at 11:00AM.  You do not need to pay anything to attend the seminar.  You just need to be at the venue or session hall on time, with a pen and paper for your notes.  You may approach any Pag-IBIG staff after the session if you have further questions.

Reference: www.pagibigfund.gov.ph

School Enrollment Documents You Need to Prepare

 

Are you enrolling your child as a Senior High School student or college freshman in a few months?  Here are the basic requirements you need to prepare in order to achieve a hassle-free school admission.

Senior High School (K-12)

1. Certificate of Junior High School Completion.
2. Certificate of Good Moral Character (from the previous school, if you are transferring to another school).
3. Form 138 (Report Card)
4. Form 137 (Secondary Student’s Permanent Record).
5. National Career Assessment Examination (NCAE) Certificate
6. PSA Birth Certificate (formerly NSO birth certificate)
7. ID pictures (white background)
8. Medical Exams (schools may have a designated partner clinic for this).

College Freshman

1. Certificate of Good Moral Character
2. Form 138 (Report Card)
3. Form 137 (Secondary Student’s Permanent Record)
4. National Career Assessment Examination (NCAE) Certificate
5. PSA Birth Certificate (formerly NSO birth certificate)
6. PSA Marriage Certificate (if married)
7. Medical Exams (schools may have a designated partner clinic for this).

College Transferees

1. Honorable Dismissal or Transfer Credential
2. Transcript of Records (CIIT provides crediting of subjects from your previous colleges especially for minor subjects).
3. Course Description
4. Copy of College Diploma (for second coursers only).
5. PSA Birth Certificate (formerly NSO birth certificate).
6. PSA Marriage Certificate (if married)
7. Medical Exam (schools may have a designated partner clinic for this).

Prepare photocopies of your documents, as some schools require that you submit the original copies.  You may conveniently order for several copies of your PSA documents (birth, marriage) at www.psahelpline.ph and have these delivered to your home.

 

Reference:

www.deped.gov.ph

Why Do You Need to Get a New Copy of Your PSA Birth Certificate?

If birth certificates do not expire, why do we need to secure new copies from the Philippine Statistics Authority (formerly National Statistics Office)?

In a recent radio interview, the assistant national statistician of the PSA mentioned the different reasons why Filipinos need to secure new copies of their civil registry records such as birth and marriage certificates.  Below is the list of reasons why you should request for brand new copies of your most important personal documents:

1. PSA changes the color of the Security Paper they use when printing the birth certificates. All embassies and other government agencies are properly informed of this and therefore, are aware when a person’s birth certificate is an old copy or a new one.
2. When the maximum number of printouts for a particular color scheme of the Security Paper is reached, the PSA changes the paper used for the birth certificates. This helps discourage the circulation of unauthorized and fake copies of birth, marriage, death, and Certificate of No Marriage (CENOMAR).
3. It is the government agencies’ and other offices’ discretion to require brand new copies of PSA documents as a prerequisite for certain transactions. This means that some agencies may still accept certificates printed in old Security Papers, while others may reject these and require the applicants to submit new ones.  This is especially true when the applicant’s copy is dilapidated or when the entries in the document are hardly readable.
4. You may secure copies of your PSA certificates at any of the six PSA outlets in Metro Manila or by calling the PSAHelpline hotline at 02-737-1111 and have your documents delivered to you instead.

For more information about PSA birth certificate delivery, visit www.psahelpline.ph.

References:

http://news.abs-cbn.com

www.psa.gov.ph

How to Get the PhilHealth Insurance ID Card

I recently visited a money remittance center in Baguio City and claimed some cash that was sent to me by a relative.  I used my PhilHealth Insurance ID as proof of my identity.  When the teller called my name, I approached her window and claimed my cash.  But before she handed my ID back to me, she asked, “Bakit ganyan ang PhilHealth ID mo?”

I was taken aback and gave her a quizzical look.  She probably sensed my confusion because she immediately showed me her PhilHealth ID and said, “Kasi yung sa amin itong luma pa.  Papano ka nakakuha ng magandang PhilHealth ID?”  This time, she was already smiling.

I said that my ID is the insurance card version that I got from PhilHealth when they conducted an onsite application at our office.

Apparently, not all PhilHealth members are aware that they can get the new PhilHealth Insurance Card version of their PhilHealth IDs.  And how.  So today, we are going to share with you how you can apply for this sleek card, even if PhilHealth does not hold an online application event in your office.

How to get a PhilHealth ID?

First things first: you have to be a member of the PhilHealth before you can apply for either the paper ID or the plastic ID card.  Once you are enrolled as a member, you will be assigned a lifetime PhilHealth number which will be asked of you every time you avail of benefits and privileges.  You do not have to have an ID in order to be granted your PhilHealth benefits, you just need to have a membership number.

If you are already a registered PhilHealth member, here’s how you can get the PhilHealth regular ID card:

1. Download PhilHealth’s registration form from their website (PMRF).
2. Submit the PMRF to the nearest Local Health Insurance Office together with the following documents:

• Two 1×1 latest ID picture;
• Two valid IDs; and
• Any of the following documents:
  • For SSS pensioners
    • Photocopy of Death, Disability, and Retirement (DDR) indicating the date of retirement and effectivity date of pension.
    • Photocopy of the Retiree/Pensioner Certification indicating the effectivity date of retirement.
  • For GSIS pensioners
    • Photocopy of Certification/Letter of Approval of Retirement indicating the effectivity date of retirement.
    • Photocopy of Service Road issued by the employer showing rendered services of not less than 120 months.
    • Photocopy of Certificate/Retirement Gratuity from the employer indicating services of not less than 120 months.
    • Photocopy of retirement voucher issued by GSIS.
  • For Uniformed personnel of AFP, PNP, BJMP, and BFP
    • Photocopy of General/Special or Bureau Order indicating effectivity date of retirement.
    • Photocopy of Certification/Letter of Approval of Retirement from the GSIS indicating services of not less than 120 months.
    • Photocopy of Statement of Services issued by previous employer showing service of not less than 120 months.
  • GSIS Disability Pensioner/SSS Permanent Total Disability Pensioner before March 4, 1995.
    • Photocopy of Death, Disability and Retirement (DDR) indicating the date of retirement and effectivity date of pension.
    • Photocopy of Disability Pensioner Certification issued by SSS/GSIS indicating effectivity date of pension or the period of coverage for a disabled pensioner.
  • SSS Survivorship Pensioner before March 4, 1995.
    • Photocopy of Death, Disability, and Retirement indicating the type of survivorship in nature and the effectivity date of pension.
    • Photocopy of Survivorship Pensioner Certification indicating the effectivity date of pension.
  • Other individuals who are not under the above-mentioned categories.
    • Photocopy of official receipts of premium payments to PhilHealth.
    • Any other documents indicating the months of premium payments to PhilHealth.

3. Await Member Data Record (MDR) and PhilHealth ID Card.

PhilHealth Insurance Card

After you have accomplished the process above, you just need to do a few things to get the PhilHealth insurance card.

1. Download PhilHealth’s registration form from their website (PMRF).
2. Submit PMRF to the nearest LHIO or any of their SM Mall branches together with the following documents:

• Two (2) 1×1 latest ID picture,
• Two (2) valid IDs;
• Photocopy of official receipts of premium payments to PhilHealth or any other documents indicating the months of premium payments to PhilHealth.
• Two (2) valid IDs of your dependent (if you wish to include them).

3. Declare your dependents to apply for maximum benefits (if applicable).

4. Pay P90 for the ID; P358 additional if you wish to include your dependents.

If you have questions about securing your very own PhilHealth ID, send us a message and we will do our best to find the answers for you.

Reference:

http://www.philhealth.gov.ph

7-Step Process when Applying for the SSS Loan Restructuring Program 2018 and Other FAQs

We asked several SS members who have outstanding loan balances with the agency why they chose to ignore the loan condonation program of the SSS last year.  Most of them said that they do not see the need to settle their obligation since the money they borrowed was actually taken from their own SS contributions.

Is this the right concept when it comes to settling obligations with government agencies such as the Social Security System?

Last week, we featured the benefits of availing the loan condonation program offered by the SSS to members who failed to update their accounts.  Today, we will be sharing the 7-step process that you need to follow when availing the program.  We hope that we are able to encourage everyone to grab this opportunity offered by the SSS to update delinquent accounts and save your future claims from the SSS.

How to apply for the SSS Loan Condonation Program?

1. Secure updated Statement of Loan Balance for Loan Restructuring Program (2 copies) from the nearest SSS office.
2. Accomplish an Affidavit of Residency attesting residence/work address in a covered calamity area when the calamity/disaster happened. Member-borrower with Calamity Loan or Salary Loan Early Renewal Program (SLERP) and Death Benefit filer need not accomplish an Affidavit of Residency.
3. Fill out the Loan Restructuring Application Form (MEL-01368) in one copy.
4. If member-borrower is personally applying for the restructuring, present original copy of valid identification cards/documents.
5. If a representative is filing for the restructuring program (on behalf of the member), he or she must submit the following:

• Letter of authority – original copy.
• Photocopies of two (2) valid identification cards each of the member-borrower and the filer, at least one (1) with photo and both with signature.  Present both original copies of the identification.

6. Submit the form to the nearest SSS branch or Foreign Office with the Statement of Loan Balance for Loan Restructuring Program signed in the “conforme” portion and the notarized Affidavit of Residency (if applicable).
7. For the Death, Total Disability, or Retirement (DDR) filer who will avail of the Loan Restructuring program, submit this Loan Restructuring Application form, Statement of Loan Balances for Loan Restructuring program together with the DDR claim application.

Necessary Forms

You may download the forms from these links:

1. SSS Loan Restructuring Program Application Form
2. Affidavit of Residency
3. Letter of Authority (if the application will be filed by a representative 

Terms and Conditions:

1. Eligibility
2. The loan/s must be past due for a period of at least six (6) months as of the first day of restructuring period.
3. The member-borrower must be:

1. Living or working in calamity/disaster declared areas as of disaster date or as of application date.  “Living” shall refer to the home address of the member-borrower;
2. Must be under 65 years old at the end of the installment term;
3. Has not been granted any final benefit, i.e. total permanent disability or retirement;
4. Has not been disqualified due to fraud committed against the SSS;
5. Member-borrowers with final benefits application (Death, Total Disability, Retirement) whose contingency date is on or before the last day of the availment period of the restructuring program.  Said final benefit claim must be filed within the availment period.

1. Areas Covered

For covered short-term loan programs, below is the list of covered calamities or disasters declared by NDRRMC as under the state of calamity:

1. Ondoy (2009)
2. Sendong (2011)
3. Pedring and Quiel (2012)
4. Pablo (2012)
5. Labuyo (2013)
6. Maring (2013)
7. Santi (2013)
8. Armed Conflict in Zamboanga City (2013)
9. Earthquake in Bohol and Cebu (2013)
10. Yolanda (2013)
11. Agaton (2013)
12. Glenda (2014)
13. Mario (2014)
14. Ruby (2014)
15. Seniang (2015)
16. Lando (2015)
17. Nona (2015)
18. Lawin (2016)
19. Nina (2016)
20. Earthquake in Surigao del Norte (2017)
21. Earthquake in Leyte (2017)
22. Armed Conflict in Marawi City (2017)
23. Urduja/Vinta (2017)
24. Mayon Volcano Eruption (2018)

2. Restructured Loan Amount

The sum of principal and accrued interests of all past due short-term loans of the member-borrower shall be consolidated into one Restructured Loan (RL1).

Payment Terms

1. Full Payment – payable within 30days from the approval date of restructuring application.
2. Installment Payment – payable in equal monthly amortization based on payment range as follows:

RL1 Range (Sum of Principal and Interest)	Number of Months to Pay
P2,000 to P18,000	12 months
P18,000.01 to P36,000.00	24 months
P36,000.01 to P54,000.00	36 months
P54,000.01 to P72,000.00	48 months
More than P72,000.00	60 months

The member-borrower may elect his preferred payment term but not to exceed five years.

Interest Rate and Penalty

1. For installment term, RL1 shall be subject to an interest rate of 3% per annum computed on a diminishing principal balance over the applicable payment term.
2. A penalty of 0.5% shall be charged against the amortization due for every month unpaid during the RL1 term.

Due Dates and Manner of Payment

1. Monthly installment shall be due for payment every 10^th day of the month following the amortization month. Amortization shall start on the month immediately following the approval date of the Restructured Loan.

Example:

• Restructured Loan Approval Month: April
• 1^st amortization month: May
• 1^st installment amortization is due on June 10.

2. Payment shall be made through any SSS branch with teller facilities or authorized collection agents of the SSS.

 

Conditional Condonation

Penalties shall be condoned after full payment of outstanding principal and interest of RL1 within the approved term.  The balance of RL1 should be zero at the end of the term.  Otherwise, the unpaid principal of RL1 and the proportionate balance of condonable penalty shall become part of a new principal under Restructured Loan 2 (RL2).

Interest Rate After Term Expiry

After the term of RL1 expires and the loan remains outstanding, the new principal balance under RL2 shall henceforth be charged with an interest rate of 10% per annum until fully paid.

Other Terms

1. While the Restructured Loan is existing or outstanding, the member-borrower cannot avail other SSS short-term loan programs including Educational Assistance Loan Program.
2. The member-borrower may avail of SSS short-term loan program after six (6) months from the date of full payment of the Restructured Loan.
3. Once the member-borrower availed of this loan restructuring program, he/she is disqualified from availing of any future loan condonation/restructuring programs of SSS.
4. In case of member-borrower’s death, total disability, or retirement, the total loan obligation or any unpaid amount of the loan as well as the interest and penalty shall be deducted from the final benefits.

Source: http://sssinquiries.com/loan/how-to-apply-for-sss-loan-restructuring-program-2018/

What We Need to Know About Separation Pay in the Philippines

An employee is entitled to a separation pay after he resigns from his job.  But why do some get more than others, even when both had the same number of years in service and are receiving almost the same monthly salaries?

Here is a summary of how a resigning employee’s separation pay is determined by the employer, as published by the National Wages and Productivity Commission.

1. One-half Month Pay Per Year of Service

An employee is entitled to receive a separation pay equivalent to one-half month pay for every year of service, a fraction of at least six (6) months being considered as one (1) whole year, if his/her separation from the service is due to any of the following authorized causes:

1. Retrenchment to prevent losses (i.e. reduction of personnel affected by management to prevent losses);
2. Closure or cessation of operation of an establishment not due to serious losses or financial reverses; and
3. When the employee is suffering from a disease not curable within a period of six (6) months and his/her continued employment is prejudicial to his/her health or to the health of his/her co-employees.

2. One-Month Pay Per Year of Service

An employee is entitled to separation pay equivalent to his/her one-month pay for every year of service, a fraction of at least six (6) months being considered as one whole year if his/her separation from service is due to any of the following:

1. Installation by the employer of labor-saving devices;
2. Redundancy, as when the position of the employee has been found to be excessive or unnecessary in the operation of the enterprise; and
3. Impossible reinstatement of the employee to his or her former position or to a substantially equivalent position for reasons not attributable to the fault of the employer, as when the reinstatement ordered by a competent authority cannot be implemented due to closure or cessation of operations of the establishment/employer, or the position to which he or she is to be reinstated no longer exists and there is no substantially equivalent position in the establishment to which he or she can be assigned.

An employee is entitled to a separation pay when his or her termination from work is due to any of the above circumstances.

An employee who voluntarily resigns from employment is not entitled to separation pay, except when it is stipulated in the employment contract or Collective Bargaining Agreement or based on established employer practice in the company.

Separation pay may also be granted to an employee under the following instances:

1. As financial assistance as an act of social justice, even in cases of legal dismissal under Article 282 of the Labor Code of the Philippines, where the employee is validly dismissed but for causes other than serious misconduct or those involving moral turpitude;
2. If an employee is illegally dismissed and is ordered reinstated but reinstatement is not viable because of the strained relationship between the employee and the employer;
3. When the payment of separation pay is part of the company policy or a benefit granted under the CBA of the employer and the employee.

 

References:

www.dole.gov.ph

www.nwpc.dole.gov.ph

 

The 20 Grounds for Divorce in the Philippines

There are four additional grounds that the divorce bill will include in the list of reasons why a person may seek to dissolve his or her marriage.  Bear in mind that the grounds listed for legal separation and annulment remain in effect and are carried into the divorce bill.

 Below are the grounds under Article 55 of the Family Code, and Annulment under Article 55 of the same code:

1. Physical violence or grossly abusive conduct directed against the petitioner, a common child, or a child of the petitioner.
2. Physical violence or moral pressure to compel the petitioner to change religious or political affiliation.
3. Final judgment sentencing the respondent to imprisonment of more than 6 years, even if pardoned.
4. Drug addiction or habitual alcoholism or chronic gambling of the respondent.
5. Homosexuality of the respondent.
6. Contracting by the respondent of a subsequent bigamous marriage, whether in the Philippines or abroad.
7. Marital infidelity or perversion or having a child with another person other than one’s spouse during the marriage, except when the spouses have agreed to have a child through in vitro or a similar procedure, or when the wife bears a child as a result of being a rape victim.
8. Attempt against the life of the petitioner, a common child, or a child of the petitioner.
9. Abandonment without justifiable cause for more than a year.
10. Those legally separated by judicial decree for more than two years can also avail of divorce.
11. One of the spouses was older than 18 but younger than 21 at the time of marriage without the consent of a parent, guardian, or substitute parental authority unless, after the age of 21, the pair freely cohabitated and lived together.
12. Either party was of unsound mind, unless such party, after coming to reason, freely cohabitated with the other.
13. The consent of one party was obtained through fraud unless, despite after knowing the fraud, continued to cohabit as husband and wife.
14. That the consent of one party was obtained by force, intimidation, or undue influence unless, despite the cessation of such, the pair continued to cohabit.
15. That either party was incapable of consummating the marriage with the other, and the incapacity continues or appears to be incurable.
16. That either party is afflicted with a sexually transmissible infection that is serious or appears to be incurable.

The bill introduces four additional bases for divorce:

1. Separation for at least five years at the time the petition is filed, with reconciliation highly improbable, except if the separation is due to the overseas employment of one or both spouses in different countries, or due to the employment of one of the spouses in another province or region distant from the conjugal home.
2. Psychological incapacity of the other spouse as defined in Article 36 of the Family Code, whether or not the incapacity was present at the time of marriage or later.
3. When one of the spouses undergoes gender reassignment surgery or transition from one sex to another.
4. Irreconcilable marital differences and conflicts resulting in the total breakdown of the marriage beyond repair despite the efforts of both spouses.

What do you think of the listed grounds for divorce?  Do you think these aptly cover all possible situations that an unhappily married couple may face?

We’d love to hear from you!

Reference: https://www.rappler.com/nation/196612-explainer-house-divorce-bill

5 Things You Need to Know About the Divorce Bill

On February 21, 2018, the House Committee on Population and Family Relations gave its thumbs up to the bill that will introduce divorce as a means to dissolve marriages in the Philippines.  As of the moment, the only way you can get out of a dysfunctional marriage is through annulment, which costs a fortune and will seek to prove that your marriage is invalid.  This means that if the court fails to find substantial grounds to prove that your union is null then your petition for annulment will not be granted and you remain married to your spouse.  Divorce, on the other hand, will end a legal marriage and make both parties free to marry other people.

There are only two countries in the world that do not recognize divorce in its territories: the Philippines and the Vatican.  Ours is a predominantly Christian nation and it is for this reason that the proposal to legalize divorce has always been shelved.  In the Philippines, married couples may dissolve their union through an annulment petition that is both tedious and costly.  Divorce seeks to address both issues.

To help us understand what’s inside the divorce bill, we summarized five important key points in the law.

1. Divorce only seeks to terminate a continuing dysfunction of a long broken marriage.

Since annulment does not recognize infidelity as grounds for separation, couples seem trapped in this situation until the parties decide to just take matters into their own hands – amicably go their separate ways and pursue relationships with other people.  In the end, they remain married and all things related to their marriage (conjugal properties, child custody and support, etc.) continue to be part of their lives as husband and wife and parents to their children.

Divorce will help such couples obtain their legal rights to marry other people.

A dysfunctional marriage is not necessarily the result of one or both party’s infidelity.  Some couples simply fall out of love and no longer wish to be part of the union.  Again, these types of reasons for separation do not hold water in an annulment petition.  Only divorce can make it possible for couples, who no longer love each other, to dissolve their marriage and find marital bliss elsewhere.

2. Divorce will be a more affordable means for the common Pinoy to end a marriage.

Women who cannot afford the costs of an annulment are literally left with no choice but to remain married forever.  These women could be physically, emotionally, psychologically, or economically abused by their husbands – or the other way around (wives abusing their husband’s rights and privileges).  Divorce gives them the opportunity to seek freedom from abusive partners, even if they could not afford the costs of an annulment.

Indigent divorce applicants can enjoy free litigation fees and will be afforded with competent public lawyers to represent them in court.

3. Divorce will not abolish legal separation and annulment.

Couples still have the option to go for either, even while divorce is already made available for them.

4. The Cooling Off Period

Those who think that divorce is the fast and easy way out of a legal marriage are in for a surprise.  Divorce applicants will be required to undergo a 6-month cooling off period as a means to try and reconcile the couple.  This, however, is waived when the petition is filed due to domestic abuse or if staying in the marriage poses danger to the life of the spouse or any of his or her children.

5. The divorce decree will include custody of children, protection of the children’s inheritance, liquidation of conjugal partnerships or gains or absolute community, and alimony for the innocent spouse.

Foremost in the bill’s agenda is, of course, the welfare of the children that will be involved in the couple’s separation.  Each party’s right over custody of their children will also be taken up and finalized while the divorce application is being heard in court.

 

Visit us again tomorrow as we will be featuring the grounds for divorce and how these differ from the existing provisions under the Annulment and Legal Separation laws.

Reference: https://www.rappler.com/nation/196612-explainer-house-divorce-bill

 

How To Apply for the SSS Loan Restructuring Program

On Monday, April 2, 2018, the Social Security System (SSS) will once again open its doors to members who with unpaid obligations with the agency.  This is another opportunity that the state-run pension  fund is extending to members to allow them to settle overdue loans and regain their good standing with the SSS to avoid problems with their claims later on.

Who can benefit from this offer?

The SSS will condone penalties of member borrowers, making special mention of those who were affected by the Marawi siege and Mayon Volcano eruption.

How will members benefit from the program?

Members with delinquent accounts will not have the opportunity to settle their overdue loan principal and interests – in full payment or through installment basis – with respect to the SSS’ terms, depending on the member’s capacity to pay.

Whether the member is paying in full or through installment basis, the SSS will waive the loan penalties after the member has completed payment for the restructured loan.

Below is a summary of the program’s provisions, for reference:

• Past due payments for the following loans:
  • Salary loan
  • Emergency loan
  • Old educational loan
  • Study Now, Pay Later Plan
  • Voc-tech loans,
  • Y2K loans,
  • Investments Incentive Loan
  • Other loans that were past due for at least six months as of April 2, 2018.
• An interest rate of 3% will be implemented for restructured loans.
• Penalties will be condoned upon full payment, with option to renew the loan after six months.
• Members will be back to “good standing” with the SSS, be able to apply for new loans, and be assured of fully enjoying their final benefit claims in the future.
• Members who were granted condonation in the last loan restructuring program of the SSS will no longer be accommodated.

Visit the nearest SSS branch office in your area now to know more about this offer.  The SSS Loan Restructuring Program will be available until October 1, 2018.

Reference: www.sss.gov.ph