HELPING MEMBERS TRACE THEIR SSS BENEFITS

Aware that idleness is the bane of retirees hence will be my waterloo when we visit our folks in the metropolis last April, I looked forward with uneasy concern my planned one-month stay there. I, of course, welcomed the prospect of attending the 2003 ANCOM whose venue was understandably transferred from Davao to Manila due mainly to the terrorist activities that suddenly became the order of the day in that southern part of the archipelago, but I reckon it will still be insufficient to keep me busy. And so, I resolved to do something to fruitfully while the time away during our planned four-week stay and thought that following up problems of retirees with the Social Security System or SSS would be a welcome respite. VW’s Joel Palacios and Sigfredo Ibay are, after all, sturdy members of Walana Lodge No 13 who can surely assist.

After determining the task that we surmised we can do, me and the missus thereafter proceeded to gather information on the persons in the locality whom we can help and decided that five deserving persons would make ideal test cases; and after due consultations with select members of the community, got their names and SSS numbers that will be the object of our planned apostolic deed. They are:

1. Sergio Rodriguez (deceased member)
2. Amador D. Amoguis
3. Filomena Riveral
4. Nemesia D. Castrodes, and
5. Hermogena N. Olaso

Immediately after the 2003 ANCOM this writer went to the SSS Media Department and looked for both VW’s Joel Palacios and Freddie Ibay. Joel, being the busy Vice President of the SSS that he is, is often out of his office but Freddie is and so I took him to task by giving him our list. He accommodated gladly and assured that help is on the way. Handing me his calling card, he advised to call three days later for the results.

Three days came and I did. But the girl at the other end of the phone said that Freddie has not reported for work the past two days as he was indisposed. Would I be kind enough to call again later?

The Monday following I again visited Freddie his den at the SSS who said that he already had preliminary results. These are:

1. The heirs of Sergio Rodriguez need to file the death claim with the SSS Tagbilaran branch. In addition to accomplishing the required form and the papers that were already attached, the birth certificate and the vouchers of burial expenses were needed.

2. Amador D. Amoguis is no longer entitled to benefits as he was already granted three partial disability benefits which is the maximum limit provided for by law as the said member did not reach the ten-year membership.

3, 4 and 5- Records show that these claims were cancelled by SSS Cebu. Since no details of explanation could be found at the main office, would I be kind enough therefore to wait another three days as Freddie will fax SSS Cebu for details? I said I will.

The three days came and I again personally visited Freddie at the office. The reply of SSS Cebu hasn’t arrived yet. And so Freddie prepared a referral slip addressed to SSS Tagbilaran requesting its branch manager to assist just in case the reply of SSS Cebu is not received. In addition, he gave me the name of Mr. Paulino Lao, Vice President for Cebu and the latter’s three telephone numbers and suggested that we call him direct.

We returned to Bohol the next week without getting the desired data. Upon arrival, the missus called Mr. Lao long distance, an arrogant SSS official and who even asked if the missus is a lawyer and that his office does not attend to third-party requests. And so, instead of meeting the problem head-on by directly calling him, I called Freddie long distance with an appeal that he personally do something about it. If possible, could Freddie request Joel to take over as it appears it may need the same muscle, that is, since both Joel and that egotistical Mr. Paulino Lao are both Vice Presidents of this elephantine institution, then probably, the latter will reply positively. He assured me he will and requested that I call again the next day.

The day following I delegated the task of calling Freddie to the missus. He gave the following information over the phone.

1. Filomina Riveral’s claim was reviewed and that the pension will be reinstated. All that is needed is for her to wait and in due time the pension check will be received.

2. The claims of Nemesia D. Castrodes and Hermogena Olaso were suspended because the applicable SSS forms that were prepared were not the proper forms. While the initial pension checks were issued to the retirees, these were subsequently suspended pending re-submission of the correct forms.

At this point Freddie then suggested that we accompany the claimants to the SSS Tagbilaran and there re-file the claims. Meanwhile, the name of Laura Berou was added to the list.

On June 3 we proceeded to Tagbilaran and directly went to the SSS. Mr. Gideon Rubillos, the branch manager, who was cooperative and referred us to Mr. Marino Talictic, in charge of complaints on pension claims. The latter immediately checked the data on his computer and confirmed that the three retirees, namely Nemesia D. Castrodes, Hermogena Olaso and Laura Berou were indeed suspended because the documents submitted appeared defective. Mr. Talictic advanced the information that there were irregularities committed sometime in the seventies where many ghost claims were perpetuated by hospitals on medicare benefits by registering unemployed persons and claiming hospitalization benefits. This, he alleged, is simply done by registering the person as a self-employed member. There were forty or so such cases who were suspended under this situation. He suggested that the needed documents be resubmitted to determine if they are indeed bona-fide members by requiring them to submit the applicable business permits and the income taxes paid during the year the person became a member.

The case of Filomina Riveral was very interesting. Records show that monthly pension checks are being sent regularly to the beneficiary. The question therefore is: “Who is receiving the pension checks?”

The death benefits of the late Sergio Rodriguez showed positive prospects. Mr. Talictic said that what is needed is simply to amend the Death Benefit Claim and on our next visit accompany the beneficiary to the office for the required interview taking along with her a postal ID and a residence certificate and presto, the claim will be processed!

We returned to our residence in Guindulman town quite excited at the turn of events but with one ironic twist of fate, the person who has been surreptitiously encashed the check intended for Filomina Riveral was a sister of the registered beneficiary!!

But of course, for this unusual exercise we have to thank both VW’s Joel Palacios and Freddie Ibay of Walana Lodge No 13!!