The Social Security System (SSS) urged employers who failed to remit the contributions of their workers in the previous months and years to avail of the contribution penalty condonation programs during its recent nationwide conduct of the Run After Contribution Evaders (RACE) operations.

The RACE operations aim to enforce compliance among employers and collect unpaid contributions from them. The SSS said that as of June 2023, there were 1,021,467 delinquent employers with a total contribution delinquency of P25.9 billion.

To help these employers settle their obligations, the SSS offers two contribution penalty condonation programs: the Contribution Penalty Condonation Program for Employers Affected by Calamities (CPCEAC) and the Contribution Penalty Condonation Program for Employers with Delinquent Contributions (CPCEDC).

The CPCEAC covers employers whose businesses were affected by natural or human-induced calamities such as typhoons, earthquakes, fires, and armed conflicts. The program waives 100% of the penalties for unpaid contributions from January 2010 to December 2020, provided that the employers pay their delinquencies in full or in installment within the prescribed period.

The CPCEDC covers employers who have not remitted their contributions for any month from January 2010 to December 2020. The program waives 50% to 100% of the penalties depending on the payment scheme chosen by the employers. The program also allows installment payments for up to 60 months with a minimum monthly payment of P500.

The SSS said that both programs are open until December 31, 2023 and that employers can apply online through the My.SSS portal. The SSS also reminded employers that availing of the programs will not only save them from paying penalties but also ensure the social security benefits of their workers.

The SSS is a state-run social insurance program that provides retirement, disability, death, maternity, sickness, and funeral benefits to its members. As of June 2023, the SSS had 38.9 million members and 2.5 million pensioners.