SOCIAL Security System (SSS) president and CEO Rolando Ledesma Macasaet said the agency is on track for a record-setting year in terms of registering new members after it hit 2.4 million new registrants in July 2024.
In a press briefing, Macasaet reported that the number of new SSS members from January to July 2024 surged by 165 percent to 2.4 million from 923,000 new members recorded in the same period last year.
Macasaet said that in previous years, SSS usually averaged around one million new members annually. But for this year, he challenged SSS officials and employees to target two million new SSS registrants for 2024.
“SSS took the challenge and even went the extra mile. In the first six months, we hit our year’s target of two million new members, a positive result of our massive membership and coverage drives throughout the country,” Macasaet said.
Macasaet underscored that this milestone reflects SSS’ commitment to expand its membership and reach all working Filipinos.
“The implications of this record membership are profound because it means more Filipinos will have access to a comprehensive set of social security benefits from SSS. The social security protection offered by SSS can help safeguard the financial well-being of Filipino families, particularly during times of uncertainty,” Macasaet added.
Voltaire P. Agas, SSS EVP for Branch Operations Sector, reported that the highest number of new members came from prior registrants, totaling 1.2 million. Prior registrants are individuals who already have SS numbers but have not yet been reported as covered employees or self-employed members.
“We observed a significant increase in new self-employed members, which surged by 273 percent—from 112,000 in 2023 to 419,000 in 2024. Additionally, the number of new OFW members more than doubled, rising to 10,300 in 2024 from just over 5,000 last year,” Agas explained.
Data showed that Luzon recorded the highest number of new members, with more than 882,000. The National Capital Region (NCR) came in second with over 693,000 new enrollees. Mindanao and Visayas followed with 436,000 and 417,000, respectively. Meanwhile, over 10,000 new members came from international operations.
Nationwide Registration Day enrollees reached 26K
Agas said one of SSS’ initiatives to expand membership is the Nationwide Registration Day on July 15.
“In a single day, SSS successfully registered more than 26,000 new members in the SSS e-services booth set up in the activity centers of partner malls and establishments.
Agas explained that during the activity, SSS urged all working Filipinos to become SSS members so they could access social security benefits in times of need.
Aside from new registrants, Agas said the SSS e-services booth served 54,000 members in their SSS transactions, such as creating their My.SSS account, resetting their My.SSS login credentials, updating member records, disbursement account enrolment, generating Payment Reference Number (PRN), and filing their salary and benefit claims applications.
Road to 5M new members by year-end
Macasaet expressed optimism that SSS could reach four to five million new members by the end of 2024, adding, “SSS will sustain this growth trajectory in the coming months as we aim for a historic peak in new member registrations.”
“Halfway through the year, we already hit our year’s target. But SSS won’t stop there. We remain steadfast in our mission to further broaden our membership base and cover all Filipinos in the workforce,” Macasaet said.
Macasaet concluded that SSS will explore innovative strategies to promote social security awareness and instill among fellow Filipinos the value of acquiring SSS membership.
