Senator Jinggoy Estrada has filed a measure seeking to expand unemployment benefits under the Social Security System (SSS), aiming to provide longer financial support for displaced workers, including overseas Filipino workers (OFWs) repatriated amid tensions in the Middle East.
Under Senate Bill No. 1070, unemployment assistance could be extended to as much as five months, compared to the current two-month coverage that grants 50% of a member’s average monthly salary credit.
“Hindi lang kita ang nawawala sa mga nawalan ng trabaho. Nawawalan din sila ng pag-asa at seguridad ng kanilang pamilya kung paano maitatawid ang kanilang pang-araw-araw na pangangailangan. Sa ganitong pagkakataon, dapat may nasasandalan silang tulong at malasakit ng pamahalaan upang makabangon muli,” Estrada said.
The proposed measure states that the duration of aid would depend on the number of years a worker has contributed to the SSS.
Workers with at least one year of contributions may receive monthly cash assistance equivalent to one-third of the prevailing minimum wage, with benefits ranging from one to five months.
Estrada emphasized that the proposed financial support should not be seen as charity but as a form of protection for displaced workers.
“Ang panukalang cash aid ay hindi limos. Ito ay proteksyon laban sa gutom at kahirapan habang sila’y naghahanap ng bagong trabaho,” he said.