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The House of Representatives is set to approve next week a joint resolution with the Senate increasing by P2,000 the monthly pension of the Social Security System (SSS) pensioners under the Social Security Act of 1997 after the measure was passed by the committee on government enterprises and privatization last December 6.

North Cotabato Rep. Jesus Sacdalan, committee chairman, said he and Senator Richard Gordon, chairman of the Senate committee on government corporations and public enterprises, met last Tuesday and agreed the second tranche of the SSS pension hike amounting to P1,000 shall be given by the SSS by 2019.

The first tranche is set to be given on December 2016.

Sacdalan said the House approval of the joint resolution next week was agreed during the caucus of the super majority last Wednesday. “We will certainly pass it before the holiday break,” Sacdalan said.

The committee on government enterprises and privatization approved last Nov. 15 House Bill 18 which substituted and consolidated all 17 measures calling for an increase in the SSS pension.

Sacdalan said the committee opted last December 6 to pass a joint resolution to ensure speedy approval and implementation of the SSS pension hike proposal. “The approval and implementation of the SSS pension hike might face delay if what we will pursue is the bill,” said Sacdalan.

Last month, SSS chairman Amado Valdez urged the committee to sponsor a joint resolution instead of House Bill 18 before the plenary session. He said if a law is passed, it would violate the contractual obligation of the SSS with those who are paying the contributions because these are obligated.

As of January 2016, there are about 33 million SSS members and 2.15 million retirees receiving their pensions upon retirement, the joint resolution said. DMS