KAMANGGAGAWA Partylist Rep. Elijah “Eli” San Fernando on Thursday blasted the Social Security System (SSS) over what he called “shameless double standards” after the agency granted ₱333 million in so-called “Prestige Awards” to 6,525 officials (₱50,000 each) while repeatedly failing to deliver timely and accurate benefits to ordinary workers.
San Fernando said the SSS has no moral authority to hand out bonuses when it cannot even perform its most basic responsibilities to the members who fund the entire institution.
“Mahigpit sa manggagawa, pero maluwag sa sarili,” San Fernando said. “Buwan-buwan may kaltas sa sahod ng mga manggagawa. Pero saan napupunta? Sa ₱50,000 na ‘prestige award’ ng libu-libong opisyal, habang delayed, mali-mali, o kulang-kulang ang benepisyong ibinibigay sa mismong nagbabayad?”
He noted that under government rules on the PRAISE program, which governs performance-based incentives, monetary awards must be backed by proof of cost savings or exemplary work. Yet the Commission on Audit (COA) reported that SSS failed to meet these requirements, raising serious doubts about the legality and propriety of the payouts.
“Kahit pa sabihin natin na merong savings itong SSS, bakit niya gagastusin o ilalagay ‘yung pera nating mga manggagawa, nating mga contributors, para ipamigay sa mga opisyal nito? ‘Pag mamumudmod ng bonus at incentives sa mga opisyal ng SSS, napakabilis, pero kapag manggagawa ang kukuha ng serbisyo, napakakupad! Ganun na ba ang kalakaran dito sa SSS?” San Fernando said.
The lawmaker also cited multiple COA findings showing long-standing operational failures at SSS — failures that directly hurt members.
Among the lapses are (1) nearly ₱300 million in accounts payable with incomplete or missing documentation; (2) excess payments to members that were never returned or corrected; and (3) worst of all, ₱209 million in delayed benefit payments, in some cases up to 18 years late, affecting more than 137,000 workers.
“Kapag late ka nagbayad ng SSS loan, merong multa, merong penalty. Pero kapag SSS ang late na nagbayad sa mga contributors, wala man lang accountability! Tama ba ‘yun?” San Fernando asked.
COA also uncovered further inefficiencies: (1) ₱32.5 million in unemployment benefits wrongly paid to 2,699 ineligible individuals; (2) ₱24.8 million in continuous pension payments to deceased beneficiaries, and; (3) ₱2.9 million in unpaid or insufficient funeral benefits, money urgently needed by grieving families.
“And yet,” San Fernando added, “the SSS somehow managed to spend ₱13 million on tissue paper. Ano ba ang mga tae ninyo, ginto? Ayon mismo sa report ng Commission on Audit, sobra-sobra ito sa pangangailangan ng SSS. Wala pang storage at verbal lang ang naging kasunduan sa pinagbilhan ng mga tissue paper na ‘to. Halos buong Pilipinas na ang pwede nilang pahiran sa dami ng tissue na tinambak nila!”
“Ginawa ‘yang SSS bilang proteksyon san natin na mga manggagawa. Ang laki-laki ng binabayad natin, kinakaltas doon sa mga sahod natin buwan-buwan para sana meron tayong insurance na aasahan,” he said. “Pero sa halip na makuha natin ‘yan nang mabilis at maayos e halos maglupasay at magmakaawa tayo para lang makuha ‘yung mga benepisyo at serbisyo na galing din naman sa pinagpaguran at pinagtrabahuhan natin!”
He added: “Sa nakikita natin ngayon, napag-iiwanan ang mga manggagawa. Hindi on time ang benepisyo. Mali-mali ang records. At sa halip na ayusin ang serbisyo, inuuna pa ang bonus sa sarili. Pinagkakakitaan ‘yung dugo at pawis ng mga manggagawa at ordinaryong Pilipino!”
San Fernando vowed to file a House Resolution to investigate SSS expenditures and alleged anomalies.
“Pinagkakatiwala ng manggagawa ang kanilang kinabukasan sa SSS. Panahon na upang i-reporma ang SSS at patunayan nitong karapat-dapat ito sa tiwalang iyon,” he concluded.
