SSS, GSIS, OWWA urged to provide calamity assistance to members amid COVID-19 situation

Bayan Muna party-list Representative Ferdinand Gaite on Wednesday urged the Social Security System (SSS), the Government Service Insurance System (GSIS), and the Overseas Workers Welfare Administration (OWWA) to provide their members with calamity assistance amid the ongoing coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) emergency.

In a statement, Gaite pointed out that since these agencies already have a clear list of members, they could hasten the delivery of assistance to those affected by the COVID-19 situation.

"In this time of great need, the government, and its agencies must do everything to extend help to our people," he said.

"The amount could be smaller or around the same amount of the social amelioration program assistance, but any help would be important and welcome," he added.

According to Gaite, the SSS and GSIS earlier implemented an early release of pension, and the former even offered loans of up to P20,000 to their members. He urged these agencies to do more than what they already did.

"Aside from additional benefits, the agencies must also relax the requirements in acquiring the other existing loans. OWWA, for its part, could assist the families of OFWs," he said.

Meanwhile, Gaite said he disagrees with the suggestion of Senate President Vicente Sotto III to implement the National Identification System to help identify the beneficiaries of the Social Amelioration Program, saying that it would be "untimely, impractical, and burdensome for the poor."

"What would hasten the delivery of aid is the identification of those who are exempted from receiving. These are the richest 10% of the population or, based on a population of 108 million or approximately 20 million families, just around 2 million families," he said.

"The government already has a list of the poorest of the poor in its 4Ps Beneficiary database, the government should start from that, and distribute aid to them immediately as they are probably in the most dire situation right now," he added. — Erwin Colcol/BM, GMA News