Bayan Muna officials Neri Colmenares and Rep. Carlos Zarate. INQUIRER.net file photo / Tetch Torres-Tupas
MANILA, Philippines — Bayan Muna officials have demanded for a P1,000 increase in the pension of Social Security System (SSS) members, even daring its Board of Directors to try living with P73 budget for a day — the equivalent of the current P2,200 monthly pension.
During a protest action outside the SSS office in Quezon City on Wednesday, Bayan Muna Rep. Carlos Zarate said that the members of the SSS board should experience for themselves the hardships of poor people in order for them to understand how badly people need the pension increase.
“Marapat na agad na talagang ibigay ang dagdag pang P1,000 SSS pension para makatulong sa mga pensyonado. Dapat masubukan man lang din ng mga miyembro ng SSS board maski ng isang linggo kung gano kahirap ang buhay ng mga pensyonado,” Zarate said.
(It is really an urgent matter that the pension be increased by P1,000 to help the pensioners. It is also necessary for the members of the SSS board to try even for a week living the hard life of our pensioners.)
The group’s chair and senatorial bet Neri Colmenares, who was also present during the event, added that it is easy for SSS executives to block the additional pension because they do not suffer from hunger or from inadequacy of medicines.
“Ang dali para sa SSS Board na harangin ang pension hike dahil hindi naman sila yung hindi makakain ng tama o makabili ng gamot para humaba pa ang buhay ng ating mga pensioners,” Colmenares explained.
(It is easy for the SSS Board to just block such pension hike moves because they are not the ones who are experiencing the lack of food to eat or medicines to drink in order for them to live a longer life.)
“Ilang milyong pensyonado po ang matutulungan ng pagtataas ng pensyon pero mukhang mas mahalaga pa sa SSS Board ang kanilang credit ratings kesa sa buhay ng mga senior citizens natin,” he added.
(Imagine how many pensioners who will benefit from the pension increase but it appears that credit rating is more important for the SSS Board rather than the life of our senior citizens.)
The P1,000 hike is the second of the two-part P2,000 pension hike, as mandated by the Joint Resolution No. 10 of 2017, and in accordance to R.A. 8282 or the Social Security Act of 1997.
However, SSS management previously suggested that they would have to postpone the second tranche until 2020, because it might impact the SSS fund life.
READ: SSS seeks to delay 2nd round of pension hike to 2020
But even if the remaining P1,000 pension is released, Colmenares said that it will still not suffice for the necessities of SSS members.
“The SSS Board led by outgoing President Emmanuel Dooc is so hell bent in blocking the pension hike without considering that the complete P2,000 SSS pension increase will only translate to P66 per day for the much needed additional fund for our senior citizens’ food, maintenance medicine and other expenses,” he said.
“But this would be a big help for them to somehow have more comfortable lives,” he noted. /jpv