The Social Security System (SSS) will soon cover 1,600 movie and television industry workers after signing a Memorandum of Agreement (MOA) with the Katipunan ng mga Artistang Pilipino sa Pelikula at Telebisyon (KAPPT) or the Actors Guild of the Philippines last Friday.
The existing partnership dubbed as “ArtistaSSSya” will work on the compulsory coverage and remittance of SSS contributions of self-employed KAPPT members composed of actors, actresses, singers, producers, stage personalities, commercial artists, and stunt men.
“Art is the highest form of expression so we should take care of our people in the movie industry. We must ensure that they will have a secure future especially when they retire,” said Social Security Commission Chairman Amado Valdez who initiated the coverage of self-employed KAPPT members.
Under the agreement, SSS will designate an Account Officer (AO) who will conduct on-site registration of all qualified KAPPT members. The AO will also facilitate all SSS transactions, such as processing of registration forms; receipt of reports, application forms and other SSS documents; and enrollment to the Unified Multi-purpose Identification (UMID) Card.
KAPPT President Imelda A. Papin said that to encourage SSS membership, the association will pay for the initial contributions of its members.
“The board decided to pay the initial SSS contributions of the first 250 active members to encourage others to join so that each one of us can say na nakasandal na kami sa pader. It is a blessing that SSS provided us an office which will be home of Filipino artists,” Papin said.
SSS President and Chief Executive Officer Emmanuel F. Dooc called the MOA signing a celebration.
“Truth is, many of us Filipinos rely on our own families for social security. It is high time that we change this mindset because our family’s financials may be limited or have already dried up. But with SSS, you are assured of assistance in times of contingencies. So today is a celebration because we have come to realize the importance of SSS for social security,” said Dooc.
The pension fund will conduct information seminars and provide SSS reference materials to KAPPT to educate its members. Orientations will be held to teach KAPPT members how to use the SSS online facility to check their personal records as well as payment options.
Given their wide degree of influence, KAPPT will act as advocate of social security protection by educating its members with SSS programs, policies, benefits, and privileges using their website, social media sites and newsletter. The organization is required to create an SSS corner in KAPPT areas, districts, and chapters.