SSS pushes for social security protection of seafarers

Wazzup Pilipinas!?



The Social Security System (SSS) on Friday assured the social security coverage of all Filipino seafarers and maritime professionals as labor groups, manning agencies, ship owners, and government agencies formed the Maritime Industry Tripartite Council (MITC) during a pact signing ceremony in Intramuros, Manila.
SSS President and Chief Executive Officer Rolando Ledesma Macasaet emphasized the collective effort as SSS joined as one of the members of the newly created Maritime Industry Tripartite Council, representing the government sector.

Macasaet lauded the Department of Migrant Workers (DMW) led by its newly appointed Secretary, Hans Leo J. Cacdac, for spearheading the creation of the Council.

Macasaet stressed that the Council was a testament to the unified commitment to address maritime employment concerns and advance the protection of Filipino seafarers.

“With this agreement, SSS commits itself to promoting the welfare of Filipino seafarers and their families by providing them with financial assistance during contingencies such as disability, sickness, maternity, unemployment, old age, funeral and death,” Macasaet said.

Macasaet urged all Filipino seafarers to become SSS members, underlining the significant benefits of having social security protection for themselves and their families, which is a crucial step towards ensuring a secure future.

Records showed that around 350,000 seafarers are members of SSS.

SSS benefits for seafarers
Macasaet told seafarers to strive to pay at least 120 monthly SSS contributions so they can receive a lifetime monthly pension once they have retired.

“Contributing to the SSS is one way of investing in their future. Aside from retirement benefits, employed SSS members like seafarers are entitled to sickness, maternity, disability, unemployment, funeral, and death benefits,” he said.

Macasaet added that they can also take advantage of various SSS loan programs, such as salary and calamity, and get additional coverage from the Employees’ Compensation (EC) Program for work-related sickness or injury resulting to disability, or death.

“Since seafarers are contributing to the regular SSS program with a Monthly Salary Credit (MSC) that exceeds P20,000, they are automatically enrolled in the Workers’ Investment and Savings Program (WISP),” he said.

Under this compulsory provident fund scheme, he said each contributing member will have an account wherein SSS will place their contributions and investment earnings. Members pay their WISP contributions together with their regular SSS contributions.

He added that seafarers would get their total contributions and investment income at the time of their retirement, which they may opt to receive as a monthly annuity if their WISP savings exceed P100,000.

“Seafarers can receive it as a lump sum if their contributions and investment income are less than P100,000. If it is P100,000 or more, they can receive it as combination of lump sum and monthly pension or a fixed monthly annuity which will be released together with their regular monthly pension,” he said.

Likewise, Macasaet urged seafarers to consider their financial future and save their hard-earned money in WISP Plus, the SSS voluntary retirement savings program. He highlighted this as an additional benefit, giving seafarers the power to choose and plan for their retirement, in addition to the retirement pension from the regular social security program and annuity from the WISP.

Macasaet explained that members can contribute as little as P500 per payment whenever they want to receive this additional layer of social security protection.

He noted the members’ pooled contributions under WISP Plus would generate investment earnings, which would be credited to their individual accounts tax-free.

Members of the Council
The DMW will serve as the Maritime Industry Tripartite Council Chairperson, leading the efforts to ensure the welfare and protection of seafarers. Members from the government sector include SSS, Department of Labor and Employment (DOLE), Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA), Department of Health (DOH), Department of Transportation (DOTr), Department of Information and Communications Technology (DICT), Commission on Higher Education, Philippine Health Insurance Corporation (PhilHealth), Home Development Mutual Fund (Pag-IBIG Fund), and National Telecommunications Commission (NTC).

Members representing the labor sector include the Trade Union Congress of the Philippines (TUCP), the Associated Marine Officers’ and Seamen’s Union of the Philippines (AMOSUP), the International Seamen’s Mutual Labor Association, the Mariners and Allied Transport Employees Union, Associated Philippine Seafarers Unions, Porty Workers Union of the Philippines, Federation of Free Workers, and United Filipino Seafarers.

Meanwhile, the management sector is represented by the Conference of Maritime Manning Agencies, Filipino Shipowners Association, Filipino Association for Mariners Employment, Inc., International Maritime Association of the Philippines, International Maritime Employers’ Council Ltd., Philippine Chamber of Arrastre and Stevedoring Operators, Inc., Philippine Interisland Shipping Association, Philippine-Japan Manning Consultative Council, Inc., ALMA Maritime Group, and Ship Manager Association of the Philippines.

UPD College of Science Kickstarts Innovation-Research Fair 2024

Wazzup Pilipinas!?



Cover Photo caption: Organizers and participants of the Innovation-Research Fair 2024 (Photo credit: Craig Soroño).


The UPD College of Science (UPD-CS) Innovation Committee, under the Science and Society Program (SSP) and led by SSP Director Dr. Lerrie Ann Ipulan-Colet, hosted the two-day Innovation-Research Fair on 29 and 30 April 2024 in celebration of World Creativity and Innovation Day.

The Innovation-Research Fair is an initiative to bridge the gap between scientists who develop novel inventions and entrepreneurs who produce these inventions for public use. The key players, UPD-CS Dean Giovanni Tapang said in his opening speech, are the innovation officers who bring scientists' works to entrepreneurs and transmit market demands back to the scientists.

Research adoptors from various industries participated in the event. Among the companies and agencies present were Analog Devices Philippines, Ateneo de Manila University, BioAssets Corporation, Bureau of Plant Industry, Bureau of Soils and Water Management, Osaka University - Institute of Laser Engineering, International Flavors and Fragrances, Maynilad Water Services Inc. - WATERLab, Pathway Technologies Inc., Mandaluyong City Health Office, and the Department of Environment, Natural Resources Environmental Management Bureau (DENR-EMB) Air Quality Management Section, and Vecor Labs Philippines.

Different institutes of UPD-CS showcased their service laboratories and research capabilities to the research adoptors, namely Marine Science Institute (MSI), Institute of Biology (IB), Institute of Chemistry (IC), Institute of Environmental Science and Meteorology (IESM), Institute of Mathematics (IM), National Institute of Molecular Biology and Biotechnology (NIMBB), National Institute of Physics (NIP), Material Science and Engineering Program (MSEP), and National Institute of Geological Sciences (NIGS).

Some CS laboratories and institutes exhibited their value proposition posters to the research adoptors. Among those who participated were UPD-CS IB’s Microbial Ecology of Terrestrial and Aquatic Systems Laboratory, Fungal Laboratory, Pathogen-Host-Environment Interactions Research Laboratory, Developmental Toxicity and Signaling Research Laboratory, Integrative Research Laboratory Philippines, DNA Barcoding Laboratory, and UPD-CS IESM’s Biogeography, Environment, Evolution and Climate Laboratory. UPD-CS IM and MSEP also presented their posters to the research adoptors.

Dr. Renier Mendoza presenting UPD-CS IM’s value proposition poster to a research adoptor (Photo credit: Craig Soroño).

The event included plenary sessions, poster presentations, and panel discussions to stimulate and promote innovation in and out of the academic community. It also aimed to strengthen linkages between students, researchers, and public and private sectors by providing a venue for students and researchers to promote and share their work.

As part of the plenary sessions, Department of Trade and Industry (DTI) Undersecretary Rafaelita Aldaba, Ph.D. presented ways the science community and entrepreneurial industries can collaborate; UP Office of the President Consultant for Innovation Mr. Jose Emmanuel P. Reverente presented his perspective on innovation culture; UP System Technology Transfer and Business Development Office Director Luis Sison discussed technology transfers and customer discovery principles; and IP & Technology Transfer Officer Ms. Ma. Christina Mate of Technology Transfer and Business Development Office discussed the technology transfer in UPD-CS.

The Innovation-Research Fair also included the 10th iteration of iStories, where Dr. Mannix S. Pedro of the UP Los Baños National Institute of Molecular Biology and Biotechnology (BIOTECH) presented the Bio N invention. This technology can convert nitrogen from the atmosphere into a form used in agriculture. The Bio N technology is an example of an invention that has been commercialized and is now widely used nationwide.

Dr. Ipulan-Colet also introduced SSP’s CAPE Innovation Program, an initiative to collate, build awareness, prepare, and expose UPD-CS to innovation opportunities. The program, which started in 2023 and will continue until 2025, is designed to propel researchers toward innovation, connect researchers to industry partners, and develop a system to assist innovators in fulfilling utilizable outputs from their research.

The Innovation-Research Fair is expected to be a regular program of UPD-CS as part of its wider effort to streamline the flow of innovation from scientists to entrepreneurs.












By Harvey Sapigao

UN Sasakawa Laureate Glenn Banaguas: The Lone Filipino Voice Championing Climate Resilience at Harvard

Wazzup Pilipinas!?




As the world convenes for the Harvard Climate Action Week 2024, a singular figure emerges from the Philippines, carrying the weight of his nation’s hopes and aspirations for a sustainable future. Science Diplomat Glenn Banaguas, the distinguished UN Sasakawa Laureate and multi-awarded scientist, is set to grace this global stage as the only Filipino speaker, a testament to his unparalleled dedication to environmental advocacy.

His engagement at this prestigious event is an emblem of hope and inspiration for the Philippines. His presence echoes the united resolve of his homeland, which stands at the vanguard of climate advocacy. Through the pioneering “Climate Smart Philippines: Science for Service” program, he has ushered in a new era of disaster risk management and resilience enhancement across Southeast Asia. As the cornerstone initiative of the Environmental and Climate Change Research Institute, which he established, this influential platform commits to mitigating disaster risks and averting potential harm through thorough scientific analysis, skill-building, project oversight, and collaborative efforts with various partners. It represents a thoughtful and compassionate method to combat the climate emergency, ensuring that the devised solutions are grounded in scientific evidence while being sensitive to gender issues and cultural nuances.

Scheduled for June 2024, the Harvard Climate Action Week, hosted by the Salata Institute for Climate and Sustainability, is a crucible for transformative ideas and strategies to combat the climate crisis. The week-long summit promises to be a melting pot of innovation, where Banaguas’ insights will undoubtedly spark meaningful conversations and drive impactful change.

Banaguas’ unique perspective as the sole Filipino invitee underscores the critical role of inclusive representation in the climate dialogue. His presence is a powerful reminder that the path to global sustainability is paved with the diverse experiences and wisdom of all nations, especially those most affected by climate change.

As the world-renowned science diplomat takes the podium, his message is clear: peace, unity, resilience, innovation, collaboration, and relentless pursuit of sustainability are the cornerstones of our global response to the climate emergency. His address is expected to resonate with a sense of urgency, calling upon the world to rally together in the face of this unprecedented challenge.

In essence, the esteemed scientist’s role at the Harvard Climate Action Week transcends that of a mere presenter; he stands as a beacon of progress and a driving force for global change. His address marks a pivotal moment for his nation and serves as a rallying cry for the international community. His words will resonate with the aspirations of countless individuals affected by climate change, amplifying the urgency of his message. As we anticipate his speech, we are reminded of the profound significance of every voice in the crusade for a sustainable and resilient tomorrow.