TACLOBAN CITY — The Social Security System (SSS) in Eastern Visayas strengthened its ties with local media during its 2025 Media Appreciation Dinner, held on December 16, 2025, at Antonio’s Event Center in Barangay 83, San Jose Paraiso, this city.
The event highlighted the agency’s recognition of the critical role media plays in informing the public about social security programs, benefits, and services.
Journalists and media practitioners from Tacloban, Ormoc, and Catbalogan attended the gathering, which served as a platform for the SSS to express gratitude for the media’s consistent support in disseminating accurate and timely information to members and beneficiaries.
SSS Senior Vice President for the Visayas Operations Group, Atty. Alberto Montalbo, said the dinner was a way to honor media organizations that have partnered with the agency in promoting public awareness.
“This is the first time we held our Media Appreciation Dinner in December. We wanted to align the event with the holiday season, a perfect time to extend our gratitude to our media partners who help amplify our programs,” he said.
Certificates of appreciation, seasonal giveaways, and other tokens were presented to media representatives in recognition of their sustained contributions to SSS information campaigns and advocacy initiatives.
The evening’s program included a formal dinner, welcome and Christmas messages from SSS officials, raffle draws, live musical performances, and the awarding of certificates to participating media organizations.
SSS Vice President for the Visayas Central 2 Division, Atty. Porferio Salidaga Jr., underscored the media’s essential role in maintaining public trust and ensuring that SSS programs and services effectively reach members and beneficiaries across the region.
Media organizations, including the Leyte Samar Daily Express, expressed appreciation to SSS for the recognition, citing the event as a meaningful acknowledgment of the media’s role in advancing public service and social protection advocacy in Eastern Visayas.
(LIZBETH ANN A. ABELLA)
