Candon, Ilocos Sur — The Social Security System (SSS) said it expects improved earnings from collections particularly in the Ilocos area with the additional office it inaugurated on October 31 at Stern Mall, San Nicolas in Candon City.
SSS Vice President for Luzon Operations Group Josie Magana said the new SSS Candon branch will increase their total collections by about 60 million this year.
“The SSS will continue to open more branches – in fact, we’re opening 16 more offices later this year,” Magana said.
The SSS Candon branch sees 100,000 potential members, of which 85 percent are voluntary and self-employed individuals primarily engaged in cottage and farming industries.
It will cover the City of Candon and 17 municipalities of Ilocos Sur, namely Alilem, Gregorio del Pilar, Lidlidda, San Emilio, Sigay, Sugpon, Suyo, Banayoyo, Burgos, Galimuyod, Salcedo, San Esteban, Sta.Cruz, Sta.Lucia, Sta.Maria, Santiago and Tagudin.
The branch used to be a service office at the Candon Municipal Hall before it moved to a larger space and turned into a fully operational branch in 2014, Magana said.
The SSS is increasing its presence all over the country to make SSS transactions easier and more convenient to our members. This also affords more segments of society immediate access to social security,” Magana said.
The SSS now has 17 foreign and 241 local offices, including the other seven new branches it recently opened in Molo, Iloilo; Malanday-Marikina; Batasan Hills, Quezon City; Bocaue, Bulacan; Sta. Rosa, Laguna; Eastwood, Quezon City; and San Jose, Nueva Ecija.
Total contributions collected by the state agency for the first eight months of the fiscal year showed a 17.9-percent growth or P12.09 billion higher than the same period in 2013.
Contributions, which represent 77.7 percent of SSS’ total revenues, were largely from the employed sector at P68.98 billion, followed by voluntary paying members at P6.86 billion and self-employed at P3.62 billion.
SSS offices in Northern Luzon have collected a total of P2.02 billion in contributions during the period.
