‘Incomplete encoding’

Following my mother’s death 10 years ago, my father filed his claim to her SSS benefits. But he first made sure that my mother’s former employer had settled the SSS contributions the latter had failed to pay. However, because of the “incomplete encoding” of my mother’s contribution, the SSS gave my father P33,000 only, instead of the P350,000 that was due him. My father then requested an adjustment.

However, this was opposed by the SSS assistant vice president for Western Visayas. According to his incoherent reasoning, the benefit paid to my father was erroneous because it was based on the member’s employment which was not clearly established or confirmed. This, in a sense, also contradicted the very decision reached by the branch head of SSS-Victorias. My father died on May 30, 2011 while awaiting the approval of the requested adjustment.

During the years that my mother Leolita S. Mangubat (SSS No. 07-1310002-2) was employed by Renato M. Fermin (SSS ID No. 07-1029200-2), she worked as a farm laborer in Hacienda Estrellas, Barangay Tiglawigan, Cadiz City. Based partially on the employment record which SSS-Victorias sourced from her employer in order to reconcile it with the record in its possession, my mother’s employment in Hacienda Estrellas started in September 1992 until December 1996. However, no SSS contributions were paid on her behalf during this period.

Perhaps, overcome by his conscience, the surviving son of the late Renato M. Fermin belatedly paid her SSS contributions on Aug. 26, 2010. These payments were meticulously reviewed by the branch head of SSS-Victorias before the sum of P33,000 was awarded to my father, Blas S. Mangubat.

—MARISSA LEGASPI,

Barangay Mabini, Cadiz City,

Negros Occidental