Bayad Center, SSS expand partnership

MANILA, Philippines - Bayad Center, the Philippines’ pioneering and largest over-the-counter multiple bills payment network with over 1,000 branches nationwide, will expand its partnership with the Social Security System (SSS) to allow overseas Filipino workers (OFWs) to pay their loans from the countries where they are based.

Through Bayad Overseas, the company’s new bills payment facility, SSS members abroad will be able to remit their loan payments and contributions directly to the agency through its branches and partner institutions abroad.

Bayad Center marketing officer Joel D. Aurellano said Bayad Overseas will be piloted in countries with dense OFWs populations including Hong Kong, Taiwan, the Middle East and the United States.

“We’re in the final stage now and are just tying loose ends. We’re piloting the project this coming January and we hope for a full roll-out by the first quarter,” said company sales and account management head Joy L. Caluag.

Here at home, Bayad Center will also start accepting SSS contributions remittances of employers and self-employed members starting January 2010. The institutions recently signed a tie-up agreement for this purpose.

“We’re quite happy with our relationships with Bayad Center. Their payment centers are located in communities, in places that are closer to the people so they don’t even have to dress up when paying their contributions unlike if you are paying via banks,” noted Marisso Bugante, SSS vice president for public affairs.

Caluag said Bayad Center used to cater only to individual payments of voluntary SSS members. “Now we’re also capable of servicing the contribution remittances of entire companies.”

Aside from SSS remittances, Bayad Overseas will also accommodate utilities payments from OFWs in their host countries.

“One of the complaints we hear from our OFWs is that the money they send for specific expenses are not being used wisely to serve its purpose. So, we will be launching this service where an OFW can pay his family’s utility bills here in the Philippines via Bayad Overseas,” said Rommel S. Villeza, Bayad Center senior account manager.