(This is a press release from the University of the Philippines administration.)

MANILA, Philippines – The University of the Philippines (UP) and the Social Security System (SSS) have signed a memorandum of agreement extending social security benefits to all university workers regardless of their employment status.

Through the KaSSSangga Collect Program, contract of service (COS) and job order (JO) personnel may now authorize UP to collect and remit their membership contributions to SSS, the state-run social insurance program for private, professional, and informal sector workers.

“Although we do not have direct employer-employee relationships with the concerned personnel, we aim to use our resources to help alleviate some of their worries, especially with regards to social security protection during emergencies and for their retirement,” UP President Angelo Jimenez said in his message during the memorandum of agreement signing last August 14. 

As government workers, UP employees are compulsory members of the Government Service Insurance System (GSIS). The public sector pension fund, however, does not extend membership coverage to COS and JO contractual workers who have no employer-employee relationship with the university.

SSS proposed the alternative arrangement in 2022 for personnel in government who are not covered by Republic Act 8291, also known as the Government Service Insurance System Act of 1997. 

In a circular jointly issued by the Civil Service Commission, Commission on Audit, and Department of Budget and Management, COS and JO government workers were provided the option to enroll themselves in social security programs such as the SSS, PhilHealth, and Pag-IBlG as self-employed members.

Jimenez and SSS president and chief executive officer Rolando Macasaet co-signed the agreement, which also covers UP employees who are concurrent SSS voluntary members so that they can pay their contributions conveniently through the university. – Rappler.com