THE Social Security System (SSS) is offering a calamity loan to members in areas affected by typhoons Kristine, Marce, Nika, Ofel, and Pepito.The loan is available until December 19.SSS members could benefit from a loan equivalent to their one-month salary credit or up to P20,000, SSS Officer-in-Charge Voltaire Agas said in a statement emailed to The Manila Times.'Our country was battered by multiple tropical cyclones in less than a month, making life extremely difficult for our kababayan (countrymen) in devastated areas,' Agas said.'SSS wants to extend a lending hand to them through this financial assistance to help them rebuild their lives and get back to normal,' he said.The agency said members in the areas that were declared under a state of calamity by the National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council (NDRRMC) can also avail of the loan.Areas under state of calamity due to Kristine are Dagupan, Bani and Anda in Pangasinan; Ilagan and Roxas in Isabela; provinces of Cavite, Laguna, Batangas and Quezon; Cardona and Binangonan, Rizal; Puerto Galera, Naujan, Victoria, Pola, Socorro, Pinamalayan, Mansalay, Bulalacao (San Pedro) in Oriental Mindoro; Paluan and Looc in Occidental Mindoro; provinces of Albay, Camarines Sur, Catanduanes, Camarines Norte, and Sorsogon; Naga City; Cataingan and San Fernando in Masbate; Calbayog, Samar; Jipapad, Arteche, San Policarpio, Oras, Masilog, Dolores, Can-avid, Taft, Sulat, San Julian, Borongan and Mayodolong in Eastern Samar; Magnet, Cotabato; Alfonso Lista (Potia), Ifugao; and Quezon City in National Capital Region (NCR).Quirino and Mountain Province; Santiago and Cabagan in Isabela; Baggao, Cagayan; Dilasag, Aurora; and Aguinaldo, Ifugao were also declared under state of calamity due to Nika, Ofel, and Pepito.Pagudpud, Ilocos Norte; including Buguey, Gonzaga, Sanchez-Mira, Aparri, and Claveria in Cagayan were included in the list of declared calamity areas due to Marce.Members in other areas that may be declared under state of calamity are also eligible.To qualify, a member must have at least 36 monthly contributions, six of which must be posted within the last 12 months before the month of filing of application; and have at least six posted monthly contributions under the current membership type before the month of loan application for individually paying members such as self-employed, voluntary, and land-based overseas Filipino worker members.The member applying for the loan with no final benefit claim such as permanent total disability or retirement; no past due SSS Short-Term Member Loans; no outstanding restructured loan or calamity loan; must be certified by the employer through online (My.SSS facility).Agas said the stricken members may also opt to avail of the SSS salary loan.'They must be under 65 years of age at the time of loan application and have not received any final benefit like total disability, retirement, or death benefits to qualify for the salary loan,' he said.Aside from the age requirement, an applicant should have at least 36 monthly contributions to qualify for a loan of up to P20,000, or 72 monthly contributions for a loan of up to P40,000.Agas said interested members can submit their calamity and salary loan applications online using their My.SSS account via www.sss.gov.ph.Members can pay the calamity and salary loans in installments for 24 months or two years, with a low annual interest rate of 10 percent based on the members' diminishing balance, Agas said.
