Belmonte seeks benefits for street sweepers

MANILA, Philippines — Quezon City Vice Mayor Joy Belmonte is pushing for more assistance to the city’s street sweepers to enable them to enjoy benefits from the Social Security System (SSS) and the Philippine Health Insurance (PhilHealth).

“Every street sweeper in Quezon City should be enrolled in SSS and PhilHealth. Your occupation is hazardous to your health. You are prone to various diseases, that’s why we will ensure that all of you will receive medical benefits,” she said during a gift-giving activity on Wednesday.

Belmonte urged barangay councils and councilors to “allocate funds for the health insurance of every worker in your own barangay. Be conscious that no one will be left out. Everyone has to be covered by these basic benefit.”

Belmonte said the AlkanSSSya program of SSS may be fit for city sweepers as they would not be required to pay a big amount as monthly contributions.

“The SSS has this program wherein you will be given piggy banks where you can deposit your contributions for as low as P12 every day. So at the end of the month, you will have P360 which then you can deposit to SSS as your monthly contribution,” she said.

The vice mayor also vowed to provide standard uniforms for the sweepers to show that they are part of the city government.