CEBU, Philippines - The Social Security System (SSS) and the Mandaue City Chamber of Commerce and Industry will launch today the “AlkanSSSya Program for the Informal Sector Group†at the public market.
The program is designed to encourage market vendors as well as porters to become SSS members, market administrator Mosulini Suliva said.
“Big help kaayo ni sa mga tawo nga involved sa operasyon sa merkado ilabi na sa mga kargador who feel they are being left out,†Suliva said.
An “AlkanSSSya Unit†accepts daily deposits from vendors and porters.
Yesterday, the unit was placed at the public market and after today’s launching, they can immediately start depositing. Each member should save P312 a month.
The “Alkansssya†box is made of steel composed of 160 coin box slots wherein each slot bears the name and SSS number of a member.
MCCI executive director Marlene Bedia said the tie-up with SSS is part of the chamber’s Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR).
The vendors at the public market may not be members but they are the ones that sell products of members, Bedia said.
She said the chamber shelled out P22,500 to build the box.
Once this becomes fully occupied, the chamber will find ways to come up with another box.
As of press time yesterday, 109 vendors at the market already had their own slots in the coin box.
Porferio Salidaga, branch head of the SSS Lapu-Lapu City, said today’s activity coincides with the launching of the program in Danao and Mandaue cities and Carmen town.
Nanette Banguiran, account officer of SSS Lapu-Lapu, said in the spirit of transparency, the box is strategically located and cannot just be opened by anybody. After a month of saving, the money will be collected by Banguiran herself in the presence of a member of the vendors’ association.
Once payments are made, it will be posted on the bulletin board and the members will receive receipts for their payments. (FREEMAN)