SSS, GSIS pensioners entitled to ‘ayuda’ too

Too frequent are erroneous remarks in media that SSS and GSIS pensioners should not receive “ayuda” anymore. Those stem from the mistaken belief that pensions are aid from the government. They are not.

SSS, GSIS, even OWWA, are private provident funds owned by the members. The members are you and me. Government merely administers our funds for us.

Pensions are monthly incomes of retirees. Pensioners earned those incomes through decades of toil while contributing to SSS and GSIS.

The amounts are meager, small fractions of what retirees used to make. The money usually is not enough for monthly medical and health needs, and certainly insufficient if retirees also pay food, rent, utilities.

That brings us to emergency “ayuda” – social amelioration fund from national government, and cash or goods from local counterparts. Under the Bayanihan Act the P5,000-P8,000 SAP is for 18 million poor families for starters, then six million more middle class. All of them suffered income setback from COVID-19 pandemic and lockdowns. Similarly for all are relief from city, municipal, and barangay halls. Pensioners with little else to depend on but wee releases from SSS and GSIS thus qualify.

Some pensioners are well off, having substantial savings, coming upon inheritance, or subsidized by offspring. Likely they turn down “ayuda,” or re-donate to their usual charities or needy neighbors, condo staff, and subdivision guards. That’s different. But less fortunate pensioners should not be bullied into not receiving any “ayuda” at all.

And oh, “ayuda” is not a gift from national or local officials. It is our tax money simply being returned to those most in need.

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Malacañang is questioning SSS managers for continuing to collect member loans during the pandemic. That’s a breach of debt moratorium in the Bayanihan Act. Exemplified in this space last Apr. 27 was the oppressive collection from SSS member Leo Querubin not only of loan principal but also bloated interest and penalty. The supposed 20-year past due was raked up only in Mar. 2020 by SSS-Makati (see https://www.philstar.com/opinion/2020/04/27/2010060/sss-penalizing-member-its-and-employers-faults).

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 Early last March, Ernest Villareal began driving daily to hospitals to give away pandesal and fruit juice. He wanted to show appreciation, as medics usually are too busy attending to patients to go for snacks. Profuse were their thanks to the stranger who cared. Then came the Luzon lockdown. Hospital staffs were deluged with more COVID-19 and other emergencies. New frontlines arrived too: cops, soldiers, and guards on round-the-clock checkpoint and sentry. Ernest, an SVP at Aboitiz Group, quickly expanded his team. Flour subsidiary Pilmico pitched in baking ingredients. Soon they were handing out 5,000 hot, hefty putok bread a day. Aboitiz execs, family members and employees contributed cash and talent; so did Ernest’s Rotary Club-mates at Makati Central and PMA adoptive Makatarungan Class 1978. Milk, 100-600 liters daily depending on availability, became part of deliveries handled by Energy Sec. Al Cusi and Duterte Kitchen’s Frank Resma. Every other day are added treats, cupcakes from baking classes of Ernest’s friend Susan Peña.

The bread and milk doles are now entering the third month. Beneficiaries in Greater Manila are Jose Rodriguez Memorial Medical Center, Lung Center, Children’s Medical Center, Air Force General Hospital, Army General Hospital, Parañaque Hospital, Ospital ng Muntinlupa, and Dasmariñas (Cavite) Medical Center.

As well, a dozen slums in Bulacan, Quezon City, Manila, and Laguna. A special recipient was Maharlika (Muslim) Village in Parañaque, hit by fire at the start of the Ramadan fasting season. Bread and milk are distributed there at sundown. For disinfection in several Mindoro towns the Lao Foundation donated two defoggers. Hand sanitizers were doled too to uniformed servicemen.

Apart were cash and goods – P100 million from the Aboitiz Group, P51 million from Aboitiz Foundation, P16 million from officers and employees – donated to 7.6 million needy folk confined to shanties in Metro Manila. The private Aboitiz & Co. gave personal protective gear to the Vicente Sotto Memorial Medical Center, Cebu.

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Conglomerate CEO Manuel V. Pangilinan swiftly responded to the Bureau of Internal Revenue’s S-O-S. Maynilad Water Services Inc., under MVP Group, paid in advance P613 million income tax, not due till June 15. It was on request of BIR Commissioner Caesar Dulay, as government revenues dwindle from COVID-19 economic slump. It took only a few text exchanges among Pangilinan, Dulay, and Group media director-SVP Mike Toledo to firm up the decision. The tax advance is despite only 22.5-percent collection of monthly bills from Maynilad customers.

Four MVP-led firms also helped rush completion of three quarantine mega-centers at Philippine Arena, Bocaue, Bulacan. Metro Pacific Tollway provided free access along North Luzon Expressway. Meralco installed power lines for free electricity supply. Maynilad will give free water. And Smart/PLDT, free Wi-Fi. All on request of Public Works Usec. Emil Sadain through Toledo.

Same MVP Group arrangements at four operational quarantine facilities in Metro Manila: free water, electricity, Wi-Fi to Rizal Memorial Stadium, Philippine International Convention Center, World Trade Center, and Macapagal Terminal-South Harbor.

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Catch Sapol radio show, Saturdays, 8 to 10 a.m., DWIZ (882-AM).

My book “Exposés: Investigative Reporting for Clean Government” is available on Amazon: https://www.amazon.co.uk/Expos%C3%A9s-Investigative-Reporting-Clean-Government-ebook/dp/B00EPX01BG

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