SSS puts up office in New York

MANILA, Philippines — State-run Social Security System (SSS) recently opened its foreign representative office in New York City, in line with its commitment to ensure the social security rights of Filipinos abroad.

According to SSS, its New York office is located at the Philippine Center, which also houses the Philippine Consulate General (PCG) and other government agencies.

SSS president and chief executive officer Aurora Ignacio said the state fund’s expansion in New York comes following the passage of the Social Security Act of 2018, which provides mandatory SSS coverage to all overseas Filipino workers (OFWs).

“We believe that social security, as a human right of every worker, should never be optional as it is the basic safety net of all workers. Thus, it must always be guaranteed, especially in times of life’s contingencies. Along with the signing of the Social Security Act of 2018 into law is the promise to have mandatory coverage for all sea-based and land-based OFWs through strengthened bilateral social security and labor agreements with different countries in the world,” Ignacio said.

With the establishment of the New York office, SSS said it would be able to issue social security numbers; verify membership, contribution and benefit eligibility; accommodate member data change requests; and take loan and claim applications for members in this area.

SSS said the New York office is the pension fund’s 27th foreign representative office in 18 countries.

The SSS also has foreign representative offices in Los Angeles and San Francisco in the US, and in Toronto and Calgary in Canada.