SSS to offer calamity relief assistance to Surigao
quake victims
SURIGAO CITY, Surigao del Norte, Feb. 24 (PIA) -
About 24,000 members and pensioners of the Social Security System (SSS) here
may soon avail themselves of three different types of calamity relief
assistance after a 6.7-magnitude earthquake hit the city last Feb 10.
SSS will offer three types of calamity relief
assistance such as a Calamity Loan, House Repair and Improvement Loan and
advance three-month pension to members and pensioners
“The Social Security Commission approved yesterday
the grant of the calamity relief assistance package for our members and
pensioners in Surigao. We sincerely hope that the special programs would give
them better opportunities to rebuild their damaged homes and to acquire their
basic necessities,” SSS President and Chief Executive Officer Emmanuel F. Dooc
said.
Dooc added that SSS will announce acceptance of
applications to the calamity relief assistance package as soon as the IT system
requirements and other administrative arrangements are done.
The calamity loan assistance is a new and separate
loan window from the regular salary loan where members are allowed to borrow up
to P16,000 if they are paying contributions based on the maximum monthly salary
credit (MSC).
“Similar to salary loans, calamity loans are
payable in two years in equal monthly installments with an annual interest rate
of 10 percent and one percent monthly penalty for late payments. To provide
more assistance, we waived the one percent service fee for calamity loan
applicants,” Dooc explained.
To qualify for SSS calamity loans, members should
have a home address or property in the covered areas and a minimum of 36
monthly contributions, six of which should be paid within the 12-month period
preceding the date of application. However, members who availed the SSS Loan
Restructuring Program and those with final benefit claims, such as for total
permanent disability and retirement, are excluded from the program.
Meanwhile, members with damaged homes can also
avail cash assistance through Direct House Repair and Improvement Loan Program,
with reduced interest rate of six percent per annum and waived processing fee.
“Member-applicant must not more than 60 years old
and with at least 24 monthly contributions, in which three contributions are
within the last 12-month period prior to the month of filing. They can borrow
for a maximum of P1 million pesos with an interest rate of six percent per
annum fixed for 15 years. However, the interest rate is subject for repricing
if the repayment term has exceeded 15 years,” Dooc explained.
As of Feb. 20, the National Disaster Risk Reduction
and Management Council (NDRRMC) recorded over 6,000 damaged houses in the
provinces in Surigao del Norte— 380 of which were totally damaged while 5,703
were partially damaged.
For applicants under the advance three-month
pension whose present address is different from the address in the SSS database
will have to submit a barangay certification to prove that they reside in a
declared calamity area.
For more information, members and pensioners can
visit the nearest SSS branch, contact the SSS Call Center hotline at 920-6446
to 55, or send an email to member_relations@sss.gov.ph. The application forms
are downloadable from the SSS website at www.sss.gov.ph.
Aside from the Calamity Relief Package, the SSS
extended additional assistance through distribution of relief goods last Feb.
23 at the Barangay Washington Gym located in Kaskag Village, here. (SSS-Surigao
City/PIA-Surigao del Norte)
