DAVAO CITY (MindaNews / 13 May) – The Social Security System (SSS) has warned delinquent employers to pay the premiums of their workers as the agency intensifies its campaign against contribution evaders.
Dennis Calo, acting senior communications analyst of SSS-South One Mindanao Division. Screengrab from a video by PIA Davao Region
During the Kapehan sa Dabaw on Monday, Dennis Calo, acting senior communications analyst of SSS-South One Mindanao Division, said that from January 1 to March 31 this year, the agency inspected a total of 177 non-compliant companies through its Run After Contribution Evaders (RACE), with total collectibles reaching P29.1 million.
He said the RACE was intended primarily to ensure that all companies within its area of jurisdiction are religiously paying the contributions of their workers to the SSS.
SSS-South One Mindanao Division is composed of three branches in Davao City, one branch in Panabo City and one in Tagum City in Davao del Norte, one in Mati City, and one in Bislig City in Surigao del Sur.
Calo said the businesses they inspected include big and small firms, and were mostly involved in retail, manufacturing, hotels and motels, construction, and restaurant businesses.
He said it is important that employers pay their workers’ contribution because non-payment of premiums would disallow members from availing of SSS benefits, including maternity claims, disability claims, retirement benefits, and loans.
He said that non-remittance constitutes a criminal violation under the SSS Law, which imposes an imprisonment of six years and one day to 12 years, or fine of P5,000 to P20,000.
Aside from the non-payment of SSS premiums, he said that the other common violation includes non-reporting of their employees.
He said that some of the companies did not declare the actual number of their workers in violation of the SSS Law.
“Some companies only registered five employees. But when inspected and a head count was conducted in their establishments, accounts officers would find out that there were actually 20, but they only reported five,” he said.
But Calo said that most of the employers inspected would immediately comply with the demand from the SSS.
He added that the SSS has already filed criminal cases against delinquent employers, but the figures are unavailable as of this writing. (Antonio L. Colina IV / MindaNews)
