LAST month Manila and Berlin signed a social-security agreement to ensure the equal protection of Filipinos working in Germany and Germans working in the Philippines. Officials from the Department of Foreign Affairs, the Social Security System (SSS) and other government agencies were the signatories to the bilateral agreement, which was initiated in March last year. It will then be ratified by the Philippine Senate and approved by President Aquino.
After his talks with German Chancellor Angela Merkel in Berlin last month, President Aquino said the agreement would not only foster equality of treatment in the workplace, but “also improve the processing of claims and prevent dual coverage.”
Among the highlights of the agreement are the “totalization” and export of social-security benefits. Totalization means that Filipino workers who have divided their career time between the Philippines and Germany will be able to combine the contributions they made in both countries to meet eligibility requirements for social-security benefits or pension in either or both countries. If a Filipino worker in Germany has not reached the required number of contributions to qualify for a benefit, the concerned German institution will take into account that worker’s contributions in either the SSS or the Government Service Insurance System (GSIS).
The export of social-security benefits, on the other hand, means that a covered Filipino worker in Germany, including his or her dependents or survivors, shall be eligible for social-security benefits under the same conditions as German citizens in Germany. In addition, a worker will continue to receive his or her benefits wherever he or she decides to reside in the Philippines, Germany or another country.
A Filipino worker residing in Germany does not have to return to the Philippines to file a claim. The German liaison agency will transmit his or her claim to its Philippine counterpart. Workers covered by this agreement are assured of administrative assistance from designated liaison agencies, such as the SSS and the GSIS in the Philippines, and select key agencies; the administering pension and steelworkers’ insurance; farmers’ old-age security; and health-insurance funds in Germany.
The agreement will benefit about 55,821 Filipinos in Germany, of whom 45,647 are permanent residents, while 10,174 are temporary.
Aside from this agreement, the Philippines has also entered into similar bilateral deals with Austria, Belgium, Canada, France, Switzerland, Spain and the United Kingdom, which are now being implemented. Bilateral agreements with Portugal and Denmark have also been signed and submitted to the Senate for ratification. The salient features of the agreements are consistent with International Labor Organization conventions.
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For more information about social-security bilateral agreements with other countries, contact Atty. Roberto Bautista, the head of the SSS International Affairs Department at (632) 920-6401, local 5737, or e-mail him at bautistara@sss.gov.ph.
Susie G. Bugante is the vice president for public affairs and special events of the Social Security System. For comments about this column, e-mail her at susiebugante.bmirror@gmail.com.