SSS Urges Filipino-Americans to Maintain their SSS Contributions

LOS ANGELES, California — The Filipino-American community had gathered for a special town hall meeting hosted by the Philippine Consulate General in Los Angeles (PCGLA) and the Philippine Social Security System (SSS) last June 26, 2026 at the PCGLA Headquarters.

SSS commissioner Roy G. Padiernos, in his speech, urged Filipino- Americans and Overseas Filipinos living here in the United States to maintain their monthly SSS contributions.

Padiernos encouraged former Filipinos and dual citizens to remain active members of the system, underscoring that maintaining regular contributions builds a robust retirement and pension safety net that can be easily accessed upon returning to the Philippines.

"The continued payments to SSS would ensure a reliable financial safety net and access to retirement pensions back home, even for former Filipinos," he stressed out.

The SSS official also noted that based on their data, 95% of Filipinos here have worked in the Philippines before they migrated in the US.

"If all of these Filipinos here who have worked and contributed to SSS before would continue their contributions or would become members of SSS, that would definitely boost the SSS funds," he said, noting that the Fil-Am community could all become SSS ambassadors and help disseminate the benefits of becoming an SSS member.

In 2025, SSS posted a net income of P142.97 billion, marking a 58.4% increase from the previous year. Total assets likewise grew to P1.26 trillion, up 22.1% from P1.03 trillion in 2024. For the first time in its history, the SSS Reserve Fund surpassed the P1 trillion mark — an important milestone that strengthens the institution’s resilience against economic shocks, enhances its capacity to withstand demographic pressures, and ensures its ability to meet future benefit obligations.

"Our goal is to ensure that no matter where you are in the world, your connection to your home country's social protection remains secure," the SSS representative also shared during the open forum.

"With the current economic climate, maintaining these contributions provides an invaluable financial cushion and access to pension increments when you need them most," he added.

During the interactive session, the SSS official also educated the community on how digital transformation has simplified account management.

He highlighted the reliability of the My.SSS Portal, which allows members living thousands of miles away to generate Payment Reference Numbers (PRNs), track premium payments, apply for salary loans, and file for maternity or sickness benefits online.

"With the continued operations of the SSS Representative Office in Los Angeles, which is strategically hosted at the PCGLA office, our kababayans have a physical resource for on-site services such as membership reactivation, data amendments, and pensioner confirmation without having to travel internationally," he said.

For former Filipinos who may have let their accounts go dormant upon naturalization, the official clarified that they are still very much welcome to become active members or claim their accumulated benefits, provided they can verify their original SSS records.

PCGLA Consul General Adelio Cruz, for his part, said they are planning a big launch of a project with SSS next year. "We want to make sure that our kababayans here are provided with utmost access to all government services such as that of SSS. We're so excited for this big launch we're doing with SSS next year," Cruz pointed out.

At the same time, representatives from Philippine National Bank (PNB) were also present during the meeting.

PNB, which operates a branch in the same building with PCGLA, serves as an official partner for SSS transactions, making it easier for overseas Filipinos and pensioners to manage their accounts.

Photo by Nemen Cabatuando/Doeleth Gatdula