In an initial move to improve its frontline services, newly-installed Social Security System (SSS) President and Chief Executive Officer Michael G. Regino ordered today all SSS branch heads in Metro Manila to extend their operating hours effective immediately.
In a press statement, Regino said SSS offices in the National Capital Region (NCR) would be opened from 6:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m. on weekdays and some offices on Saturdays to accommodate as many transactions as possible following the surge of transactions since the Alert Level 1 status was declared.
“These measures are meant to give our members, employers, and pensioners more time to complete their transactions with us without much hassle and difficulty. It pains me to see our members camping outside SSS offices quite early in the morning just to beat the queues and finish their transactions,” he added.
“I hope those long queues and camping out will soon be a thing of the past,” Regino said. “We owe it to our members, employers, and pensioners to give them a better service now that the pandemic restrictions are being lifted.”
Finance Secretary Carlos Dominguez III announced on Wednesday that President Duterte appointed Regino, then a SS Commissioner, to the position of SSS President and CEO. Dominguez said Duterte expected Regino to institute measures that would enhance the services of the agency and look for ways to increase the reserves of the pension fund.
Aside from extending the office hours in SSS branches in NCR, Regino said he also directed the agency’s information technology department to beef up their digital platforms so that members could have the option of conducting their transactions online and avoid queueing at SSS branches.
“With the My.SSS and the SSS Mobile App in place, I encourage our members and stakeholders to conduct their transactions through these digital platforms. Since March 2020, we have managed to shift the majority of our over-the-counter transactions to the My.SSS and SSS Mobile App platforms. These have allowed thousands of members to conduct their transactions 24/7 from the comfort of their homes,” Regino added.
Regino said SSS branches in Diliman, Cubao, San Francisco Del Monte, Batasan Hills, New Panaderos, Makati-JP Rizal, Pasig-Pioneer, Parañaque, Taguig, Las Piñas, Alabang-Muntinlupa, Binondo, and Manila will open on Saturdays in March. These SSS branches will accept all transactions except tellering services from 8:00 a.m. until 5:00 p.m.
Regino also said SSS branches in Metro Manila would augment their current workforce with additional personnel from the main office. This will also allow more counter personnel to address the high volume of transacting members going to the branches daily.
Members who wish to get more updates are advised to subscribe to the agency’s official social media accounts through its Facebook page at “Philippine Social Security System–SSS,” Instagram at “mysssph,” Twitter at “PHLSSS,” YouTube Channel at “mysssph” or join the community on Viber at “MYSSSPH Updates” or visit the uSSSap Tayo Portal at https://crms.sss.gov.ph/. ###
