THE Social Security System (SSS) on Friday, March 9, conducted its first regional Run After Contribution Evaders (Race) Campaign against more than 50 stores located at a shopping mall in Lipa City in Batangas.
SSS president and chief executive officer Emmanuel Dooc said that more than 60 percent of the 54 stores mapped by SSS were non-compliant with Republic Act 8282 or the Social Security Act of 1997.
“The Race Campaign in Batangas is just first of the many regional campaigns that we will be doing for the whole year. We want to track down delinquent employers not only in Metro Manila but also in the provinces,” said Dooc.
Dooc added that out of 36 non-compliant establishments, 11 were intermittently paying, six were non-paying and 19 were non-registrant. He said that these employers will be given letters of notice to register their employees as SSS members and pay their monthly premiums.
“With the Race Campaign, we want to stop the blatant violation of the SS Law among employers. This practice has to stop now,” said Dooc who led the SSS Race Campaign Team.
During the campaign, the RACE Team issued Show Cause Orders to Four Collits Enterprises, Elisse Fashion Corp, Chriki Colleczione Corp, Charles and Patty Food Products and Maritonee’s Snack House due to non-registration of employees.
Meanwhile, Johan Marlo Food Enterprise, TV Llanes Lotto Outlet, Redberry Trading, and Diandra Denise Boutique were reminded to settle their unpaid contributions including penalties amounting to P309,515.11 in total.
“We would like to commend Robinsons Mall for extending their full support to the Race Program. In fact, they have been our constant partner in bringing SSS services closer to our members by providing us free office spaces at their Lingkod Pinoy Centers,” Dooc added.
Delinquent employers were ordered to reply to the show cause order within a non-extendible period of 15 days from posting to be submitted to the nearest SSS branch. If they failed to respond within the given period, SSS will take legal action against them.
“Employers who violated the SS law could be sentenced to a maximum of 12 years imprisonment. The Court will also require them to settle the total amount of delinquencies and pay penalties,” said Dooc.
Dooc calls on all employees to be vigilant and to regularly check their SSS accounts to ensure that their employers remit their contributions to SSS. He advised them to report immediately to SSS any irregularity in their contributions.
“In the first instance that they discover that their employers are not paying their contributions, please report them immediately at the nearest SSS branch. Let us help one another to ensure that employers comply with the SS Law,” said Dooc.
The SSS also set up an information booth in Robinson’s Lipa to provide members with the latest updates on their membership status, contribution details, benefit and salary loan application status, and with other basic services such as issuance of social security number, online verification, and distribution of information, education and communication materials. (PR)