Friday, March 19, 2021

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SSS releases P1.82B for sickness benefits in 2020

Posted: 19 Mar 2021 08:18 AM PDT

THE Social Security System (SSS) recorded P1.82 billion in disbursements for sickness benefits last year. This amount — which came from the Social Security (SS) Fund — represented a 38.6-percent decline from the previous year and reached 269,604 members.

SSS President and Chief Executive Officer Aurora C. Ignacio attributed the decrease in applications to the nationwide community quarantine, which affected transactions in branches, particularly filing for various benefit claims.

"Comparatively, SS Fund total sickness benefit disbursements in 2016 amounted to P2.17 billion, and in 2017, it reached P2.42 billion. It further increased to P2.65 billion in 2018 and P2.97 billion in 2019. We are expecting the figures will increase for 2021 as the government eases community quarantine guidelines that will allow more people to go out of their respective homes," Ignacio said.

The same trend was observed in the number of beneficiaries who availed of SS sickness benefits. In 2016, 388,623 members were paid out, then it rose to 419,563 in 2017; 428,296 in 2018; and 458,851 in 2019.

The SSS sickness benefit is a daily cash allowance granted to qualified members confined at home or in the hospital for at least four days, including the recovery period due to an illness or injury. The number of compensable days is up to 120 days per calendar year that can be extended for another 120 days the following year on account of the same medical condition. Illnesses or injuries that persist for over 240 days can qualify for SSS disability benefits.

In July 2020, SSS implemented the Social Security (SS) Sickness Benefit Reimbursement Applications (SBRAs) of employers online through its website.

The online facility for SBRAs is available at the My.SSS web portal on www.sss.gov.ph. It allows employers to file sickness benefit reimbursement claims conveniently, without having to wait for the hard copy of the approved sickness notification and the need to submit a duly accomplished SBRA form to an SSS office after giving advance payment to the employee.

Ignacio said the development of this online facility is aligned with the SSS' ongoing digital transformation drive, now made more significant due to the health and safety protocols imposed by the government to stop the spread of the Covid-19 virus.

"Aside from expediting the processing time of sickness benefit reimbursements by eliminating the transmission of claims from SSS Branches to Processing Centers, this online facility will also reduce face-to-face interactions in our branches to help government efforts to stop spreading the virus," Ignacio added.

Disbursements for sickness benefit under the Employees' Compensation (EC) Fund also decreased in 2020 to P186.41 million, benefitting 22,757 members.

EC sickness benefit disbursement in 2016 reached P100.44 million to 25,201 members, then P121.29 million for 30,325 members in 2017, to P140.13 million for 31,662 members in 2018, and then P257.01 million for 34,860 in 2019.

The pension fund has a total of 38.8 million members as of December 2020, of which only 41.7% or 16.18 million are regular paying members.

For more information, follow the SSS on Facebook and YouTube at "Philippine Social Security System," Instagram at "mysssph," Twitter at "PHLSSS," or join the SSS Viber Community at "MYSSSPH Updates." (PR)

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'Earth Market’ opening in Silay City on March 20

Posted: 19 Mar 2021 07:28 AM PDT

ONE of the two Pop-Up "Earth Markets" to be launched in the province this month will open in Silay City Saturday, March 20, 2021.

The two-day event will be held at Casa A. Gamboa on 5 Rizal Street in the northern Negros Occidental city.

The other one will open at the Kadiwa Market of May's Organic Garden in Barangay Pahanocoy Bacolod City on March 27 and 28.

About 50 local organic farmers and producers in Negros Occidental are joining the two Pop-Up "Earth Markets."

A project of the Slow Food Community of Negros Island, these two new "Earth Markets" will be the newest addition to the worldwide Slow Food community.

It is also one of the highlights of the Terra Madre Salone del Gusto Festival 2020 to 2021.

Activities

Doreen Alicia "Reena" Gamboa, president of Slow Food Community of Negros Island, said they will be holding cooking demos of recipes from the best-selling cookbook called "Negrense Heritage Cooking," which includes "Adobong Paka and Spicy Adobong Taklong" at 11 a.m. of March 20 and "Soup No. 5 La-oya" at 8 a.m. of March 21.

A series of talks will also be conducted alongside other activities during the two-day event.

For Saturday, these included "Learn to make Pastillas out of carabao's milk" at 8 a.m.; "Waste Management in Everyday Living" at 2 p.m.; and "Grow your own mushroom" at 4 p.m.

Talks on "How do you know your Honey is real?" at 2 p.m. and "Make a soap out of used cooking oil" at 4 p.m. are also slated on Sunday.

Slow Food

"Earth Markets" is an international network of markets that work in accordance with the principles of "slow food."

The Slow Food Community of Negros Island commits to "promoting and preserving the traditional food of Negros Island" and to changing the local food system one step at a time.

"We are bringing good, clean, and fair shopping opportunities to the local community. The produce are local, fresh and seasonal," Gamboa said.

Ramon "Chinchin" Uy Jr., a member of the Slow Food Community of Negros Island, said both Earth Markets in Silay and Bacolod will have different producers selling a wide range of produce.

Each farmer's specific produce brings something new to the mix of each market, he said.

Organizers have assured the public that the activities will observe health protocols in light of the coronavirus disease (Covid-19) threat.

These include observing proper physical distancing, wearing of face mask and face shield, checking of body temperature, using of contract tracing system, and washing of hands.

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Youth-led farming thrives in Negros Occidental

Posted: 19 Mar 2021 07:19 AM PDT

WHO says farmers are aging? In Negros Occidental, the children are actively engaged in farming, molding themselves as future leaders of the province's agriculture sector.

In the province's Manapla town, members of the Myrianne Youth Farmers Organization (MYFO) are currently growing vegetables and other high-value crops in a 600-square meter farm at Hacienda Myrianne in Barangay San Pablo.

The farm is being poised to become one of the agri-tourism destinations in the northern Negros Occidental locality.

Jison dela Cruz, chairman of MYFO, said the organization has given them, children of Hacienda Myrianne, the opportunity to make use of their time in a valuable activity like farming.

Dela Cruz said farming has allowed them to gain knowledge and skills on agriculture, instead of engaging in vices.

"Through this organization, we were able to also realize that we can help and serve the community even at an early age," he added.

The group was organized in 2018. Its farm is one of the "Abanse Negrense Farm Youth Vegetable Gardens and High-Value Crops Farm Areas" in the province.

In December 2020, it won second place in innovative technology during the Search for the Most Outstanding Young Farmer Organization (4H Club) of Negros Occidental.

The youth-led farm is also a recipient of the provincial government's Solar Irrigation Project.

The project worth P6.9 million is funded by the province through the Office of the Provincial Agriculturist (OPA).

The construction of the project started in September last year, and is now 90 percent complete and scheduled for inauguration next month.

It has an estimated serviceable area of 30 to 50 hectares.

Governor Eugenio Jose Lacson, who visited the farm on Thursday, said he is happy to see children who are very much interested and engaged in agriculture.

Lacson assured them of more agricultural support and projects from the provincial government.

"Take good care of the farm, and the profit as well. Make sure that all members of the organization know where the revenue goes," he told the youth-members, adding that "it is good that at an early age, they already know farm operation concepts like dividend sharing, among others."

The governor was joined by Manapla Mayor Manuel Escalante III, San Pablo Barangay Captain Josefa Cabayao, Municipal Agriculturist Alejandro Malijoc.

Meanwhile, Lacson also visited the Beewell Organic Farmstead at Barangay Mailum in Bago City Friday, March 19, 2021.

This is also part of his administration's "Abanse Negrense Farm Youth Vegetable Gardens and High-Value Crops Farm Areas" forming part of its thrust to develop the province's agriculture sector.

Home to the Mailum Organic Village Association, the Beewell Organic Farmstead is a Department of Tourism (DOT)-accredited agritourism and farm site.

The City Tourism Office, in a Facebook post, said both farm and association have been the recipients of various programs of the provincial government, Department of Agriculture, DOT, and city government.

The farm, owned Gina Banowski, has been producing organic and high-value crops, it added.

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