SSS putting up 24 new branches

MANILA, Philippines - The Social Security System is putting up 24 new branches across the country this year as part of efforts to further expand its geographical footprint amid its growing membership base.

The figure is higher than the 21 local offices opened by the state-run pension agency in 2013.

The new branches slated for opening this year are located in major cities and business districts with a high demand for SSS transactions such as Alabang, Eastwood, Marikina, Mandaluyong, Navotas, Parañaque, Pasig, Taguig, Sta. Rosa, Cebu, Bacolod, Iloilo, Davao and Cagayan de Oro.

Gloria Cuisia, head of the SSS Branch Evaluation Services Department, said the agency also plans to launch service offices in 10 malls nationwide, three of which already started operations within the first two months of the year.

SSS Service Offices are built in partnership with mall operators or local government units, which usually offer the office space to SSS rent-free, as part of shared efforts to make transactions convenient and accessible for their customers and constituents who are also SSS members.

The mall-based offices are open Tuesdays to Saturdays from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. while those in government offices are open Mondays to Fridays from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m.

“We will continue this expansion of our network of Service Offices, as it is still a faster means of increasing SSS presence as compared with building or renovating our own branch sites, which need to go through public bidding,” Cuisia added.

To date, the SSS has a total of 135 branches, 63 service offices and 33 representative offices under its network of local offices.

The number of SSS members rose four percent to more than 1.2 million last year.

This brings total membership past the 30-million mark, largely driven by the pension fund’s widespread efforts to promote the value of social security protection and active membership.