GENERAL SANTOS CITY — The Social Security System (SSS) has stepped up its monitoring and enforcement activities against around 1,800 delinquent employers in South Cotabato province and a portion of Sultan Kudarat.
Suzette Purificacion, head of the SSS-Koronadal City branch, said they have launched a series of inspections on businesses and other entities that have pending delinquencies with the remittances of their workers.
Purificacion said the move is in keeping with the agency’s continuing campaign for the full compliance of local employers to the Social Security Law.
Records showed that only about 30 to 40 percent of the nearly 3,000 registered active employers in the area have been religiously remitting the contributions of their employees.
The remaining 60 percent have recorded delinquencies and currently the subject of complaints from their workers.
SSS-Koronadal City branch serves the 10 municipalities and lone city of South Cotabato and Lutayan town in Sultan Kudarat.
“Our account officers are currently conducting door-to-door inspections to properly enforce the collection of the SSS remittances of their workers,” she said at the “Kapihan sa PIA” on Wednesday.
Purificacion said their teams have been also visiting establishments that employ workers who are not registered with the SSS.
She said the local government units in the area have earlier submitted lists of registered businesses that have no clearances from the agency.
An SSS clearance or registration is among the requirements for the renewal of business permits and registration of new businesses with the LGUs.
Brendo Belmonte, branch membership services head, said the agency initially send billing letters to the delinquent employers before conducting the inspection.
If an employer does not comply after the inspection, he said they immediately refer them to their legal depart for the filing of charges.
“We filed numerous cases these past years and most of the time, the employers would settle at the prosecution level,” he said.
For employers with huge delinquencies, Belmonte said they could opt to issue writs of discreet levy and garnishment against them, allowing the agency to seize the bank accounts and properties of the erring employer to facilitate the payment of the pending dues.
Such a remedy could be used for employers with remittance delinquencies of PHP200,000 and above, he said.
Employers are flagged by SSS as delinquent if they fail to remit the contributions of their workers for at least a month.
