Despite DILG Memo Circular 

5 Bohol LGUS facilitate 

SSS coverage to casuals 

TAGBILARAN CITY, September 24 (PIA)—While thousands of Boholanos employed as contractual and job order workers in local government units across the province work just as hard but without social security coverage, only five local government units have the sense to provide a facilitated social security protection to its disadvantaged workers. 

According to Bohol Social Security System Officer in Charge Alita Basubas, only the towns of Maribojoc, Calape, Loboc, Ubay and San Miguel have facilitated their contractual and job order employees to be registered as self-employed members. 

Two more towns: Danao and Buenavista are on the verge of formalizing their worker’s SSS coverage, she added. 

This as, probably unknown to many, the Expanded SSS Self-employed Program applies to contractual and job order personnel in the employ of the government. 

Contractual and job order employees engaged by LGUs through contracts of service are not covered by the Government Service Insurance System Law, and so are left behind in social security protection. 

However, a memorandum circular from the Department of Interior and Local Government assured these disadvantaged workers facilitated coverage when it asserted the SSS Self Employed Coverage for all Contractual and Job Order Personnel engaged through a contract of service by the local government units. 

DILG MC 2014-83 has assured the social security protection of these workers, and contractual and job order employees have now the option to apply for coverage to have protection against the dangers of disability, sickness, maternity, old age, death and other contingencies that the SSS Offers. 

The MC stressed that the LGUs still have no obligation to pay the employer counterpart of the SS monthly contributions, but it shall ensure that there is automatic deduction of the monthly SSS contributions and salary loan amortizations from the wages of these member workers. 

Part of the LGU tasks is to provide the SSS with a list of its contractual and job order personnel through the Member’s List (ML) form, showing workers full names, SSS number, date of birth, and monthly income and shall report to the SSS on a continuing basis its update ML form. 

The LGUs shall also require their non GSIS covered workers to accomplish their individual SSS Forms RS 5 for submission to the LGU SSS liaison, whom the LGU shall appoint. 

With this, the LGU shall prepare a Collection List of monthly SSS contributions, payments showing date, total amount, applicable month and names of workers and its liaison shall ensure that the total amount of all SSS Form RS-5 tally with the total amount remitted for CL. 

The LGU shall also remit the SS contributions to the nearest SSS branch with tellering facility with the accomplished SS Form RS-5 and CL and it shall also return the payor’s copy of the validated SS Form RS-5 upon remittance of contributions. 

LGUs which need to learn more about this service by the SSS can contact SSS Bohol or visit them at the third floor of the Galeria Luisa, Tagbilaran City. (rahc/PIA-7/Bohol) 

Campaigning for LGUs to help their contractual and job order workers to be covered by the SSS under the Expanded Self Employed Program, the SSS and the PIA would be rolling out the information through the information kiosks which would be installed in towns across Bohol in the next months. Here, SSS VP for the Visayas Atty. Alberto Montalbo explained SSS Benefits to information and tourism officers during the RADIOCON. (rahc/PIA-7/Bohol)