DA Insures Farmers With SSS

Effective immediately, after the signing of Memorandum of Agreement (MOA) between the Social Security System (SSS) and the Department of Agriculture (DA), all qualified farmers will be insured. The MOA will be signed on Friday, March 14, 2014 by Emilio S. De Queros, Jr., President and Chief Executive Officer in behalf of SSS and by Proceso J. Alcala, Secretary, DA.

The signing ceremony will be witnessed by Judy Frances A. See – Head, Accounting Management Group, SSS and Asterio P. Saliot – Head, Agricultural Training Institute (ATI). 

Under the agreement, ATI shall enforce compulsory coverage and registration under the SSS self-employed program of all its qualified members of Rural Based Organizations (RBO) and designated Community Extension Workers (CEW) in good standing. ATI will subsidize in full the SSS monthly contributions of all qualified members of RBOs and CEWs. This monthly contributions shall be initially based on the agreed monthly salary credit of P3,000 which will be remitted to the SSS on a monthly/quarterly basis and submit the corresponding payment list to the SSS on or before the 10th day of the month following the applicable month or quarter. 

The ATI will also invite the SSS in ATI events, conventions, fora and other activities where there are RBOs and CEWs present. 

On the other hand, the SSS will assign Account Officer to manage ATI account and assist in the ATI’s compliance to the agreement. SSS will conduct briefings and orientation for ATI’s CEWs to improve their awareness of SSS programs. SSS will ensure prompt action on transactions filed by the CEW’s in accordance with the Citizen’s Charter. 

This MOA is based on the SSS mandate by law to provide social security protection to all self employed persons and other qualified Filipino workers regardless of trade, business or occupation against the hazards of disability, sickness, maternity, old age, death and other contingencies. 

The DA is the principal government agency responsible for the promotion of agricultural and fisheries development and growth. The ATI which is an agency under the DA is mandated to train agricultural extension workers and their clients, to conduct multi-level training programs to promote and accelerate rural development and ensure research results are communicated to RBO’s composed of Rural Improvement Clubs the members of which are women, 4H clubs composed of rural youth and farmers.

One of the extension strategies ATI uses is the School For Practical Agriculture (SPA) to develop farmers as CEW’s and their farms as learning sites. These RBO’s and CEW’s serve as ATI’s strategic partners in agricultural extension activities to promote food sufficiency and other DA programs. /MP