The Department of Labor and Employment (DOLE) said on Sunday (Sept. 26) that it has recommended a full investigation and tracking of the perpetrators of fake and ‘for sale’ certificate of involuntary separation required in availing Social Security System (SSS) benefit.
Labor Secretary Silvestre H. Bello III said the Department will pursue the investigation with the assistance of a regulatory agency after they uncovered a proliferation of counterfeit Certificates of Involuntary Separation using the DOLE National Capital Region’s template form and with DOLE-NCR Regional Director Atty. Sarah Buena Mirasol’s electronic signature, including other key officials of the regional office.
“As far as the DOLE-NCR is concerned, the issuance of a certificate of involuntary separation for SSS is free of charge. Clients may file directly through our e-filing services at http://ncr.dole.gov.ph/index.php,” Mirasol said.
The DOLE-NCR Director added that hard copies of the certificates can only be acquired at the DOLE Field Office that has jurisdiction over the employee’s workplace.
“Any person or entity found illegally reproducing the document will be dealt with to the full extent of the law,” Mirasol said.
Workers may access the DOLE-NCR’s e-filing services at http://ncr.dole.gov.ph/default.php?retsamlakygee=1071&resource=55c781238aa2cb40d26efb0450f823c2.
The DOLE certificate is a requirement for application for payment of unemployment insurance or involuntary separation benefit (cash grant) per Social Security System (SSS) Circular No. 2009-011.
The unemployment insurance covers employees, including house helpers (kasambahay) and overseas Filipino workers (OFWs) who were involuntarily separated from their job due to authorized causes, such as, installation of labor-saving devices; redundancy; retrenchment or downsizing; closure or cessation of operation; or disease/illness of the employee whose continued employment is prohibited by law or is prejudicial to his or his co-employees health.
DOLE will be signing a joint memorandum with SSS to establish guidelines on the enhanced online filing of SSS unemployment benefits claim through the SSS website. (DOLE)
