NEGROS Occidental Sixth District Rep. Mercedes Alvarez-Lansang said the expected P1,000 increase in the Social Security System (SSS) pension could not yet be implemented since Malacañang has not certified it as an urgent bill.

It will go through the normal procedure like any other bill, said Alvarez-Lansang, the Deputy Speaker for Visayas.

The proposal for the P2,000 across-the-board SSS pension increase passed the House committee government enterprises and privatization last November 15.

For his part, SSS chairman Amado Valdez had earlier said they can implement the increase in tranches, starting with the P1,000 in January 2017 and the next tranche in 2020, to ensure that the SSS will not deplete its pension funds.

Alvarez-Lansang said the SSS pension increase needs the approval of both the House of Representatives and the Senate.

After it is passed in Congress, it will require the approval of President Rodrigo Duterte to become a law.

Duterte had also scheduled a meeting with the SSS officials.