REP. FREDERICK W. SIAO
Lone District of Iligan City
Chair, Committee on Civil Service & Professional Regulation
http://www.freddiesiao.com/ Twitter: @freddiesiao 0917-729-2437
Upang maalalayan ang mga umaahon mula sa hagupit ng pandemya, taas singil sa Philhealth, PAGIBIG, SSS, at GSIS premiums, ipagpaliban sa Iligan City at iba pang GCQ areas.
DEFER PREMIUM HIKES OF PHILHEALTH, SSS, GSIS, PAG-IBIG FOR GCQ AREAS AND THE LOW-INCOME BRACKET OF PAYING MEMBERS
I suggest to the Department of Finance that the deferment of premium increases should apply not just to PhilHealth and SSS premiums but also to the GSIS, and PAG-IBIG Fund.
However, let us consider that the deferment could be limited just to Metro Manila, Iligan City, and other areas that have been under GCQ for many months now.
This is a good middle-ground for both the government and those who do not support the rate increase. The MGCQ areas have been living at close to pre-pandemic normal situation and their local economies have been running better now.
Deferment of rate hike in GCQ areas makes financial sense because the upper 50 percent of paying members can afford to pay the premium increase, while the lower half cannot, so defer only for the lower half, not for the upper half.
We must also remember that employers pay their share or counterpart premiums, so deferment should apply also to the small enterprises, more so to those which had to temporarily shut down or are running at less than 50 percent capacity. (END)
