TAGUIG CITY — Around 3,800 Job Order (JO) and Contract of Service (COS) workers at the central and regional offices of the Technical Education and Skills Development Authority (TESDA) will now have access to social security protection, following a newly signed partnership with the Social Security System (SSS).
On April 22, 2025, SSS President and Chief Executive Officer Robert Joseph Montes De Claro and TESDA Director General Secretary Jose Francisco “Kiko” B. Benitez formally inked the agreement at the TESDA Central Office. The collaboration falls under SSS’s KaSSSangga Collect Program, an initiative aimed at extending social security coverage to non-regular workers in government service.
The new arrangement will facilitate the registration of JO and COS workers to SSS, enabling them to remit their contributions and gain access to a range of SSS benefits and loan programs. In addition, approximately 4,300 regular TESDA employees may also opt to enroll in the program as voluntary members, allowing them to continue contributions from their previous private sector or self-employment engagements.
Under the KaSSSangga Collect Program, SSS will issue an Agency Reference Number to TESDA. This number will enable the uploading of a contribution collection list to generate a Payment Reference Number, which members can use to remit payments either online or through SSS-accredited collecting partners.
This partnership underscores the commitment of both SSS and TESDA to promoting social protection and security for all types of workers, ensuring they are safeguarded against future uncertainties. (DJ Gealone)