Congress should investigate how SSS failed its mandate

In times of crises like these, government social institutions like the SSS, PhilHealth, PAG-IBIG, and GSIS are tested on whether they are sincere enough to serve members and retirees. I am both a GSIS and SSS retiree. To me, SSS is poor in service compared to GSIS.

First of all, SSS is too proud of its distribution of two tranches of assistance to members. The actual performance, however, is too poor compared to the expectations it created via PR. To me, SSS is good only in propaganda to prop up its poor image in the area of service. I have seen it with my own eyes. I lined up early in three consecutive mornings as early as 3 a.m. but every time I arrived in front of the nearest outlet, I was told that the outlet already listed the maximum of 50 recipients and it was useless for me to wait.

Why did SSS choose an influential Cebu-based money remittance center as its sole distributor here in Metro Manila, when there are over 50 other companies doing the same service? What was the standard used in the choice of such an outlet, which hasn’t shown compassion and even basic service orientation? Did SSS check how this outlet is doing? Did the owners and top management of that private company even try to manage, supervise, and oversee these functions? People, including seniors and PWDs were made to line up and nobody gave them information, advice, or customer-oriented service.

Congress should look into recurrent complaints that SSS officials are overpaid outrageous salaries, allowances, and privileges, and there are too many of them, too many senior senior vice presidents, too many vice presidents and assistant vice presidents. They allegedly perform mundane tasks that can be done by rank-and-file personnel. These people should at least exert some effort to see if their members and retirees, whose contributions pay for their high compensation packages, are getting the basic courtesy and services they deserve. I had been paying SSS contributions since the seventies, more than 50 years, but I’ve never gotten that feeling that SSS officials ever understand the meaning of customer orientation. They are just in their cozy ivory towers oblivious to the suffering and pain of the people they’re supposed to serve.

It is high time Congress investigate this white elephant and determine how SSS has been delivering public service, according to their mandate. In the past, SSS commissioners had been allegedly charged with granting behest loans to influential businessmen and writing off unpaid interests by powerful groups. Congress should also verify reports that members who lost their jobs and couldn’t pay their loan amortizations were subjected to merciless foreclosure suits. They have already lost their jobs, they were also allegedly driven away from their loaned homes mercilessly by SSS. The current officials of SSS are too poor in effectiveness compared to the times of Rene Espina and Gilberto Teodoro.

Not only that, 90 out of every 100 claims for sickness, disability and death benefits are denied by the SSS for technical and flimsy reasons. In a number of cases, the Supreme Court reprimanded the SSS as trustee of the State Insurance Fund for being too stingy on money that doesn't belong to it. The fund was the employers' contributions for workers' death, disability, and disease connected with work. It is time for Congress to review the Charter of the SSS and perhaps integrate its functions with the better-managed GSIS.