There will be a good news for the SSS pensioners before the year 2016 ends.
A lawmaker revealed that the House of Representatives may pass a joint resolution increasing by P2,000 the monthly pension for Social Security System (SSS) members before the holiday break.
On Saturday, 1st District North Cotabato Rep. Jesus Sacdalan said that the joint resolution approved by the House committee on government enterprises and privatization last December 6 had been formally filed and will be presented to the plenary next week.
The said committee is chaired by Sacdalan.
“We will certainly pass it before the holiday break,” Sacdalan said.
He added that “supermajority” members have agreed in a caucus that the joint resolution will be passed next week.
Sacdalan said that he met with Sen. Richard Gordon, chairman of the Senate committee on government corporations and public enterprises, last Tuesday.
In that meeting, Sacdalan and Gordon have agreed that the second tranche of the SSS pension hike amounting to P1,000 should be given by the social security agency by 2019.
The joint resolution of the Lower House states that the first tranche of the pension hike should be given to the pensioners starting December 2016.
The joint resolutions of the House and the Senate on the SSS pension hike have the same contents, Sacdalan said.
On November 15, the committee chaired by the lawmaker approved the House Bill 18, which substituted and consolidated all 17 measures for the SSS pension hike.
According to him, instead of pushing the House measure, the committee agreed last December 6 to pass a joint resolution, ensuring the speedy approval and implementation of the pension hike.
“The approval and implementation of the SSS pension hike might face delay if what we will pursue is the bill,” the lawmaker added.
As of January this year, there are already 33 million SSS members and 2.15 million retirees who are receiving their pensions after retirement.
