Cayetano: convene social protection cluster to better serve PH workers

Senator Alan Peter Cayetano on Monday urged the government to take a more holistic approach in improving the social protection of Filipino workers, saying the state's existing financial aid programs can serve to strengthen workers' safety nets.

"Sa dami po ng mga, if I could use the term, targeted ayuda, sa ating budget -- AICS, MAIP, SLP, TUPAD -- I think the (government's) social protection cluster can come up with some programs that will actually hit two or three birds with one stone," Cayetano said in a manifestation at the organizational meeting of the Senate Committee on Labor, Employment and Human Resource Development on September 12, 2022.

The senator called on the government to reconvene its social security and protection cluster, recalling an instance during the administration of President Joseph Estrada when officials from the Social Security System (SSS), the Government Service Insurance System (GSIS), the Department of Finance (DOF), the Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD), the Department of Labor and Employment (DOLE), and other government agencies and non-governmental organizations (NGOs) implementing social protection programs came together to coordinate their policies.

The lawmaker focused on the labor department's Tulong Panghanapbuhay sa Ating Disadvantaged/Displaced Workers (TUPAD) emergency employment program, which started at the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020.

He suggested that DOLE and SSS can work together to maximize the TUPAD program to continue helping workers in the post-pandemic recovery phase while also reactivating them as paying social security members.

"For example, pwede tayo mag-pilot sa ilang mga lugar, na yung TUPAD gamitin din, to help some of them na nawalan ng trabaho, pero part of it pambayad niya sa SSS, para maging active siya... Baka pwedeng meron siyang SLP, yung Sustainable Livelihood Program para sa sari-sari store or something," Cayetano said.

He also pointed out that strengthening the safety nets for Filipino workers could minimize or even eliminate the need for large-scale financial aid programs such as those implemented at the height of the pandemic.

"Nakita na natin nung pandemic, kung sobrang lakas ng ating social security system, and kung ang pension ay sana mas malaki, hindi na sana kailangan ng ayuda e," Cayetano said.

The senator, however, also acknowledged that more needs to be done to improve the current safety net for workers as these are insufficient for even their basic needs, adding that the average retiree only collects meager monthly social security pensions of P3,000 to P4,000 and are thus forced to depend on their working children or on savings.

"I think this is something long-term we can work on. Realistically, maybe to fix it, 10, 20 years, kaya marami sa atin nakalimutan na kapag naayos, pero if we don't start now, hindi natin maaayos yun e," he said.

Cayetano is chairperson of the Senate Committee on Government Corporations and Public Enterprises, which oversees the SSS.

Cayetano: Kailangang paghusayin ang proteksyon sa manggagawang Pilipino

Nanawagan si Senador Alan Peter Cayetano sa pamahalaan na mas paghusayin pa ang mga proteksyon para sa manggagawang Pilipino, at sinabing maaaring magamit ang mga programang pang-ayuda na kasalukuyang pinapatupad ng gobyerno upang palakasin ang "safety net" para sa mga manggagawa.

"Sa dami po ng mga, if I could use the term, targeted ayuda, sa ating budget -- AICS, MAIP, SLP, TUPAD -- I think the (government's) social protection cluster can come up with some programs that will actually hit two or three birds with one stone," wika ni Cayetano sa isang manifestation sa organizational meeting ng Senate Committee on Labor, Employment and Human Resource Development noong September 12, 2022.

Iminungkahi ng senador na ipagpulong muli ng gobyerno ang social security and protection cluster nito, tulad aniya ng ginawa ng administrasyon ni dating Pangulong Joseph Estrada kung saan nagpulong ang mga opisyal mula sa mga ahensya ng pamahalaan at non-governmental organizations (NGOs) na may kaugnayan sa panlipunang proteksyon upang pag-isahin ang kanilang mga polisiya.

Kabilang dito aniya ang Social Security System (SSS), Government Service Insurance System (GSIS), Department of Finance (DOF), Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD), Department of Labor and Employment (DOLE), at iba pa.

Nagfocus ang mambabatas sa programang Tulong Panghanapbuhay sa Ating Disadvantaged/Displaced Workers (TUPAD) ng DOLE, na nagsimula noong 2020 sa kasagsagan ng COVID-19 pandemic.

Ayon sa senador, maaaring magtulungan ang DOLE at SSS upang i-maximize ang TUPAD program para patuloy na makatulong sa mga manggagawa ngayong bumabangon ang ekonomiya mula sa epekto ng pamdemya, habang nire-reactivate din sila bilang nagbabayad na mga social security members.

"For example, pwede tayo mag-pilot sa ilang mga lugar, na yung TUPAD gamitin din, to help some of them na nawalan ng trabaho, pero part of it pambayad niya sa SSS, para maging active siya... Baka pwedeng meron siyang SLP, yung Sustainable Livelihood Program para sa sari-sari store or something," wika ni Cayetano.

Sinabi din niya na sa pagpapalakas ng "safety net" para sa mga manggagawang Pilipino, maaaring maibsan o di kaya'y tuluyang matanggal ang pangangailangan para sa mga malakihang programang pang-ayuda katulad ng mga ipinatupad sa kasagsagan ng pandemya.

"Nakita na natin nung pandemic, kung sobrang lakas ng ating social security system, and kung ang pension ay sana mas malaki, hindi na sana kailangan ng ayuda e," ani Cayetano.

Gayunpaman, sinabi rin ng senador na marami pang kailangang gawin upang mas patibayin pa ang mga panlipunang proteksyon para sa mga manggagawa dahil sadyang kulang pa rin daw ang mga ito para sa kanilang mga pangunahing pangangailangan.

Dagdag ni Cayetano, umaabot lang ng P3,000 hanggang P4,000 kada buwan ang nakukubra ng pangkaraniwang retiree mula sa kanyang social security pension, kaya napipilitan silang umasa sa kanilang mga anak o sa kakaunting naipon na salapi.

"I think this is something long-term we can work on. Realistically, maybe to fix it, 10, 20 years, kaya marami sa atin nakalimutan na kapag naayos, pero if we don't start now, hindi natin maaayos y'un e," aniya.

Si Cayetano ang tagapangulo ng Senate Committee on Government Corporations and Public Enterprises, na siyang tagapagmasid sa mga kumpanya ng gobyerno tulad ng SSS.