PHILIPPINES: Overseas Filipinos and their families may soon receive better access to Social Security System programs under a new agreement with the Commission on Filipinos Overseas.
The Social Security System (SSS) and Commission on Filipinos Overseas (CFO) have signed a Memorandum of Understanding to expand social security protection for overseas Filipinos and their families.
The partnership will focus on joint information and education campaigns.
These activities will explain SSS membership, benefits, loans, and retirement savings options to Filipinos living or working abroad.
It may also help overseas Filipinos understand how to register, pay contributions, and use online SSS services.
The agreement supports a wider group of overseas Filipinos, including migrant workers, permanent residents abroad, and their families.
However, signing the agreement does not automatically enroll overseas Filipinos or their dependents in SSS.
Members must still register, pay the required contributions, and meet the conditions for individual benefits or loans.
Overseas Filipinos Can Use Digital SSS Services
SSS President and CEO Robert Joseph Montes de Claro said the partnership aims to provide overseas Filipinos with the knowledge needed to access programs that support their financial security.
CFO Chairperson Secretary Dante “Klink” Ang II joined de Claro during the agreement signing.
The official SSS information page for Filipinos abroad explains that membership can continue even when a Filipino moves overseas or becomes a permanent resident of another country.
OFWs may also use the SSS online member services to check available payment channels, contribution information, benefits, and other services.
Pension Booster Offers Extra Retirement Savings
The agreement will also promote the MySSS Pension Booster.
This is a voluntary savings program that can provide additional retirement funds on top of regular SSS benefits.
According to the official MySSS Pension Booster guide, eligible members may save at least ₱500 per payment.
There is no fixed maximum, although limits may depend on the collecting partner.
Contributions and investment earnings are tax-free, while payments may be made through approved online and overseas channels.
In June 2026, SSS reported that the Pension Booster posted a 6.2% average return from January to May.
Returns may change and are not guaranteed at the same rate every year.
Partnership Builds on a 2025 Program
SSS and CFO previously worked together through the KaSSSangga Collect Program in 2025.
That program extended SSS coverage to eligible job order and contract-of-service workers at CFO.
The new agreement widens their cooperation by bringing SSS information and services closer to more Filipinos overseas and the relatives who depend on them.
