TACLOBAN CITY – The Social Security System (SSS) branch office here has identified more than 200 employers in Leyte and Samar provinces for failing to pay SSS contributions.
SSS Tacloban branch head Lilibeth Cajucom said they have been sending notices to remind establishments of their obligations to pay their workers’ contributions.
Most of the non-compliant establishments are small businesses with five or fewer employees. Since they are small, they presumed they are not part of the social security coverage, according to Cajucom.
“These establishments have been visited by our account officers, but despite reminders, they are still not compliant. They are the priority of our Run Against Contribution Evaders (RACE) campaign. If persuasion is not effective, we go into legal means,” the official said.
The SSS Tacloban covers Tacloban City and 24 neighboring towns in the northern part of Leyte and the southern part of Samar with 4,449 registered and 130,271 SSS members.
Mario Corro, SSS vice president for Visayas Central 2 Division, said in an interview the notices sent to employers seek to raise awareness of the obligation of employers to pay contributions for their workers.
“Even if we already issued a show-cause order, our strategy is persuasive since we understand the situation of our small businesses. Before resorting to legal means, we just must see their intention to fulfill their obligations,” Corro added.
The campaign in Tacloban is part of a series of RACE operations nationwide, which aims to exact the continuous compliance of delinquent employers with their statutory obligations under Republic Act No. 11199 or the Social Security Act of 2018, ensure the social security coverage of members, and enhance SSS’ collection efficiency.
Under the law, an employer who fails or refuses to register their employees, deduct contributions from them, and/or fails to remit the same, including the employer’s share to the SSS, will be penalized by a fine of P5,000 to P20,000, and/or be imprisoned for six years and one day to 12 years, at the discretion of the court.
Employers are mandated by the Social Security Act to deduct from the salaries/wages of employees their share in the monthly contribution, pay their share of contributions including Employee’s Compensation, and remit these regularly.
All employers must register with the SSS and report their employees for coverage.
(SARWELL Q. MENIANO/PNA)
