The Social Security System (SSS) announces that Social Security (SS) Disability Benefit claim applications can already be filed online through the My.SSS Portal since January 2023.

SSS President and CEO Rolando Ledesma Macasaet said the provision of the online facility is part of the SSS’ continuous compliance with the Ease of Doing Business and Efficient Government Services Delivery Act of 2018 through the streamlining, simplification, and automation of all its benefit processes.

“With the implementation of Online Filing of Disability Claim Applications under our Social Security Program, we are proud to say that we have finally put all SSS benefit and loan programs onto online platforms. Our members can access them at their convenience 24/7, without the need to visit our branches,” Macasaet said.

To use the online Disability Claim Application (DCA) facility, members must have a registered account in the My.SSS Portal in the SSS website at www.sss.gov.ph and a Unified Multi-Purpose Identification (UMID) Card enrolled as an ATM or an approved disbursement account in the Disbursement Account Enrollment Module (DAEM).

Members can access this facility by logging in to their My.SSS account and clicking “Apply for Disability Claim” under the Benefits Tab. The system will validate the member’s records and eligibility to the benefit upon online application, where the results will be displayed on-screen.

Qualified members will be required to upload supporting documents such as a medical certificate issued or accomplished by their attending physician within the last six months, and other documents deemed necessary by the SSS.

All DCAs are subject to medical evaluation. Members who are required to report for Physical Examination and Interview (PEI) at the Medical Evaluation Center of any SSS Branch will be given 20 days from the date of e-mail notification to comply. Otherwise, the transaction will be rejected.

Applicable notifications will be sent to the registered e-mail addresses of members such as acknowledgment of successful submission; compliance to report for PEI; approval, rejection, or denial of claim; and/or other notifications deemed necessary by the SSS.

Meanwhile, DCAs with the following conditions must be filed at any SSS Branch: (1) the member is incapacitated, under guardianship, or confined in an applicable institution such as a penitentiary, correctional, or rehabilitation institution; (2) the Portability Law or Bilateral Social Security Agreement will be applied; (3) with adjustment or for re-adjudication of claim; (4) unclaimed benefit of deceased member; and (5) other conditions/cases as may be determined by the SSS.

The SSS Disability Benefit is a cash benefit granted to a member who becomes permanently disabled either partially or totally. A member must have at least 36 monthly contributions before the semester of disability to qualify for a lifetime monthly pension, in case of total disability cases; or a monthly pension for a specified number of months for partial disability cases.

Those who have not met the said required number of contributions but have at least one monthly contribution before the semester of disability will only qualify for a lump sum disability benefit, based on the guidelines provided under the Social Security Law. (PR)

BORONGAN CITY-A memorandum of agreement (MOA) was signed between the Department of Public Works and Highways Eastern Samar District Engineering Office (DPWH ESDEO) and the Social Security System (SSS) to encourage and assist contract of service (COS) and job order (JO) workers who are not coverable under the Government Service Insurance System (GSIS) Law, for social security coverage through registration as self-employed members of the SSS.

Said MOA also covered regular or permanent employees who opt to continue paying as voluntary members based on their preferred contribution.

DPWH ESDEO District Engineer Alvin Ignacio signed the MOA with SSS Senior Analyst Oliver A. Menda and Ma. Myla Lagria, a job-order employee, on May 16, 2023, at the DPWH ESDEO office.

Under the MOA, the DPWH Eastern Samar DEO shall assist its qualified regular/ permanent employees in continuing the payment of their contributions as voluntary members; to provide SSS with the list of all COS/JO personnel and regular/permanent employees who availed the service; to automatically deduct the SSS members’ monthly contributions from the salaries, wages, and fees they will receive from the office; and remit such contributions to the nearest SSS Branch.

Also stipulated in the MOA that the SSS is expected to conduct on-site registration and process the registration forms of the COS/JO personnel; regularly monitor the remittance and posting of monthly contributions of the members; provide free seminars/ information dissemination activities on the benefits, loan privileges, and other SSS programs for COS/JO personnel and regular/permanent employees of DPWH Eastern Samar District Engineering Office.

In an interview, Oliver Menda of SSS mentioned the benefits of becoming an SSS member.
“Bali damo kasi iton benefits. Mayda kita han maternity, sickness, disability, retirement, funeral, death, ngan hin employment benefits especially those who are in the field, mas maupay nga mayda nira SSS contributions kay kun magkadiano man magkakamay-ada hira benefits [Many advantages can be availed by the members such as maternity, sickness, disability, retirement, funeral, death, and employment benefits especially those assigned in fieldwork for their security because if unfortunate incidents may happen, they will received benefits],” said Menda.

Menda also disclosed that members are also entitled to loan privileges.
“Aside hiton na mga benefits, mayda sinisiring nga loan privileges, so pwede hira makapagloan ha amon an sinisiring nga salary loan. Mga two months salary loan it ira maavail. Tapos if ever mayda calamity nga umabot ha aton, pwede hira makapag apply hin calamity loan [Aside from these benefits, we also have loan privileges. They can avail the salary loan up to two months equivalent. And whenever there is a calamity, they are also entitled for calamity loan],” added Menda.

Also, Menda mentioned that the SSS would deduct 14% of the member’s salary credits to the monthly payroll, which will serve as the member’s contribution.
District Engineer Alvin Ignacio, an SSS member, supported this campaign and entered a MOA with the SSS so that employees may avail of social security services from the government, particularly those non-members of GSIS.

Before the MOA signing, the SSS had conducted an orientation for DPWH ESDEO employees last March 27, 2023. (PR)

ORMOC CITY– An unplugged electric fan was cited as the reason for a fire incident in Biliran, Biliran on Wednesday (June 1) afternoon.

The affected house was owned by Pablito Suarez,62 in Sitio Pongkay, Barangay San Isidro.
Report from the local police said that the said electric fan, located in the master bedroom of the house, has been running for almost 24 hours reason it could have overheated and resulted to the fire incident.

No one was reported from the 4:15 pm fire incident. (ROBERT DEJON)

Dolores town in East Samar as the venue

TACLOBAN CITY– The 35-strong Sto. Nino SPED Center delegation, this city, has joined several hundred other school journalists to compete in the Regional School Press Conference (RSPC) from May 31 to June 2, 2023 at the Dolores Central Elementary School in Dolores, Eastern Samar.

Delegates from all city and provincial schools’ divisions in Eastern Visayas will converge in the municipality for the three-day event.

Led by SNSC Campus Journalism Coordinator Raymond Remandaban, along with six other teachers and coaches of the student journalists, the 35-strong delegation will be competing in all categories such as news writing, editorial writing, cartoon journalism, photojournalism, broadcasting, desktop publishing, layouting, column writing, and others.
SNSC school principal Mary Ann Nalda commended the SNSC delegation after the group won and bagged top awards during the division level competitions.

“We are hopeful that aside from the fun and invaluable learnings the pupils will get from the experience, our students are prepared to bring home the bacon,” she said.
“The SNSC group will join the Tacloban City Division delegation, and they are eager to showcase their journalistic skills and compete against other talented young journalists from all over Eastern Visayas,” Nalda added.

The Sto Nino SPED SPTA officials likewise extended their full support to the delegation. “We are confident our students will proudly represent the school and the entire Tacloban division,” SPTA president Joeme Rodriguez said.

The RSPC is an important platform for young journalists to hone their skills and showcase their talents. It also provides an opportunity for students to learn from each other, exchange ideas, and develop their creativity.

Remandaban said their delegation is excited to be a part of this event and is looking forward to representing SNSC and the Tacloban city division.

Key guests of the conference include 4Ps party-list Representative Marcelino Libanan, Dolores Mayor Rodrigo Rivera, and officials of the Department of Education (DepEd).

(NEIL MORALETA/CONTRIBUTOR)

TACLOBAN CITY– The military in Eastern Visayas has confirmed that one of the casualties during an encounter in Catarman, Northern Samar was the secretary general of Bayan- Eastern Visayas.

The identity of Joshua Sagdullas was made possible through the assistance of a former rebel now in their custody, the 8th Infantry Division, based in Catbalogan City, Samar said in a press statement issued Wednesday night.

“Alias Kurati, a former rebel who operated in the area positively identified the cadaver of Joshua Sagdullas alias Miyong/Martin, the secretary general of Bayan Eastern Visayas…as one of the casualties,” it said.

Aside from Sagdullas, who said to held the post as a political instructor of the New People’s Army(NPA) in Northern Samar, the dead rebels were also identified by Kurati as Geraldine Teopinto alias Luz, the finance officer; Abigail Baselga alias Moana, medical officer; and Vicente Termo.

The rebels were killed in a clash with the military during an encounter last Sunday (May 28) in Barangay Mabini, 37.8 kms away from the town center of Catarman.

The government troop also recovered several firearms during the encounter.

The cadavers of the rebels were provided with caskets by the municipal government of Catarman upon the order of Mayor Francisco Aurelio Rosales III.

Of the four cadavers, the family of Termo claimed his remains on Tuesday (May 30).
Mayor Rosales said that the families of the dead have only until Friday (June 2) to claim the remains of the remaining cadavers.

Unless claimed, they will be buried at the Catarman public cemetery.

Major General Camilo Ligayo, the commanding general of the 8th ID, expressed his sadness on the death of the four NPA rebels, fighting for what he described as ‘senseless ideology.’

“Another life has been lost in the war against the senseless ideology of the communist terrorist group. Let us put an end to this way of life of constant struggle and fear,” he said in a statement.

“The door is still open for those who want to surrender and live a better and more peaceful life,” Ligayo added.

Ligayo earlier said that he sees the end of the existence of the communist armed movement Eastern Visayas within the year, adding that the communist has only armed fronts operating in Northern Samar, said to be the last bastion of communist insurgency of the region.

For his part, Tacloban City Mayor and chairman of the Regional Peace and Order Council Alfred Romualdez also expressed his condolences to the families of the dead rebels.

“I feel sad for the families and for those who are still with the (armed) movement, think about your families. I hope this will stop and end very soon,” he said in a statement issued through the 8ID’s public affairs office.
(JOEY A.GABIETA/ROBERT DEJON)