SSS president and chief executive officer Rolando Macasaet (5th from right) with Angkas riders. PHOTOGRAPH COURTESY OF ANGKAS
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Health insurance beckons for Angkas riders

As SSS members, Angkas riders are eligible to get sickness, disability, maternity, funeral, death and retirement benefits.

TDT

One year ago, motorcycle riding app Angkas and Pag-IBIG Fund forged a partnership that enrolled riders with the housing finance agency. As Pag-IBIG Fund members, Angkas riders contribute to the fund every month and become eligible to borrow money or buy a property.

On 1 August, Angkas also signed a memorandum of agreement with the Social Security System (SSS) to make some 30,000 riders its members.

As self-employed SSS contributors, the riders become eligible to avail of sickness, disability, maternity, funeral and death benefits. They can also loan from SSS and receive pension when they retire.

SSS president and chief executive officer Rolando Macasaet and Angkas CEO Gorge Royeca signed the deal at the SSS head office in Quezon City. Both parties gain with the SSS boosting its fund through the new members who will contribute at least P500 per month while Angkas riders get social security coverage.

“You only need P500 to start savings in the voluntary MySSS Pension Booster, and you can contribute from P500 to any amount anytime because there is no limit on the maximum amount you can invest,” the SSS president said.

“SSS allows partial or full withdrawal of your savings in the program wherein you can get your total contributions together with the investment earnings,” Macasaet said.

“You can also opt to withdraw it when you retire, you will get your retirement benefits from the Regular SSS Program and receive your total contributions plus investment earnings from the MySSS Pension Booster tax-free,” he added.

In a Facebook post, Royeca said the company will continue to work for all its riders to get different benefits.

Angkas head of operations, David Brian Medrana, hinted that health benefits will be next in the agenda.

“PagIbig done. SSS done. PhilHealth this month,” Medrana said in his post.

He said Angkas is true to its promise of equal opportunity for benefits for all hard-working riders.