Bayan Muna Rep. Carlos Isagani Zarate (davaotoday.com file photo)
DAVAO CITY, Philippines — Partylist lawmaker Rep. Carlos Isagani Zarate of Bayan Muna urged the Palace to speed up the release of the Social Security System pension hike that was approved by President Rodrigo Duterte early this year.
Zarate said the “much needed and long awaited SSS pension hike by our senior citizens” is still pending as the management of the SSS told them that they are stil awaiting the order signed by the President.
“We have been swamped already with queries, even complaints, from our SSS pensioners. Yet, up until now, all that the SSS management can say is they are supposedly still awaiting the order signed by Pres. Duterte,” said Zarate.
“Our pensioners have waited enough, thus, there is no reason at all to prolong even more their agony,” he said.
On January 10, Presidential spokesman Ernesto Abella said: “The President approved a P1,000-pension hike this month with a corresponding 1.5 percent contribution rate hike in May 2017, and an increase in monthly salary credit to P20,000 from P16,000.”
Zarate said SSS and Malacañang promised that the initial additional monthly P1,000 pension would be released in February, although retroactive beginning January of this year.
“While we continue to oppose the 1.5% increase in SSS member contribution that the economic managers piggybacked in the approval of the pension hike, we call on the government and the SSS to address first this grace social justice issues for our pensioners,” Zarate said.
“Wag na sanang antayin pa na di na pakinabanggan ng mga pensyonado ang dagdag pensyon o di kaya ay abutin pa ito ng hindi katanggap-tanggap na dagdag kontribusyon sa Mayo,” he added. (davaotoday.com)
