BBM: SSS can hike pensions without extra deductions

President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr. has assured the public that the Social Security System (SSS) remains financially strong enough to raise monthly pensions for its members—without increasing contribution rates.

Speaking in the latest episode of *The BBM Podcast* aired last week, Marcos expressed confidence in the agency’s fiscal health, saying the continued growth of the country’s working population will sustain the SSS fund even with the pension hike.

“That’s fine because the SSS is growing anyway. Our population is growing. Our working population is growing,” the President said. “So ‘yun ang bawi doon—it will continue to grow.”

The SSS recently announced a bump in monthly pension benefits for qualified members, assuring that the move will have only “minimal effects” on the fund’s long-term viability.

Marcos dismissed concerns about sustainability, noting that government projections show the SSS fund expanding at a rate that could soon rival—and potentially surpass—that of the Government Service Insurance System (GSIS).

“In fact, in our estimation, SSS in terms of its fund is growing at such a rate that it will be bigger than GSIS soon,” he added.

The President’s remarks come as a welcome assurance to millions of Filipino workers and retirees who rely on the SSS for social protection without the burden of higher monthly deductions.