Social Security System (SSS) members affected by Typhoon Tino (international name: Kalmaegi) may avail of the agency’s Calamity Loan Program (CLP) to provide immediate financial relief as the province reels from the widespread devastation caused by the storm.
In a news release on Thursday, SSS President and Chief Executive Officer Robert Joseph Montes De Claro said that qualified members may apply for the calamity loan from Nov. 6 to Dec. 5.
He said the CLP aims to help meet the victims' essential needs and assist in rebuilding efforts amid the continuing recovery operations.
“We understand how life-changing the devastation brought by Typhoon Tino is to workers and their families in Cebu. Our priority is to provide immediate, accessible support to help them get back on their feet,” De Claro said.
To qualify for the loan, he said, members must be residing or working in an area declared under a state of calamity, have at least 36 monthly contributions, with at least six contributions within the past 12 months, and have no past due or restructured loans.
Applicants must also be below 65 years old, have no final benefit claim, and have no record of fraud against SSS.
Interested members must file an online application through their online account with My.SSS.
Under the SSS CLP, De Claro said that qualified members may borrow up to PHP20,000 at a 7 percent annual interest rate, payable over 24 months.
“Once approved, loan proceeds will be credited directly to their enrolled disbursement account,” he said.
Meanwhile, De Claro said a separate calamity loan window has been opened for SSS members affected by Tropical Storm Ramil in Roxas City and Sigma, Capiz.
Qualified SSS members who live or work in these areas may apply for a calamity loan from Nov. 5 to Dec. 4.
“Calamity loans act as (a) bridge for affected members to tide them over and hasten recovery,” De Claro said.
The National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council (NDRRMC) said Cebu remains under a state of calamity after Tino slammed the province on Nov. 4, which brought torrential rains and severe flooding in the province.
At least 71 of the 114 recorded deaths nationwide were from Cebu, with 127 people still missing, based on the latest NDRRMC report.
Meanwhile, more than 200,000 families, or about 700,000 individuals, were affected, forcing more than 200,000 residents to evacuate to temporary shelters after floodwaters submerged homes and roads across Cebu City, Talisay, Mandaue, and nearby municipalities, disrupting power and communications and hampering relief efforts.
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