This is an OPEN LETTER to the President of the Republic of the Philippines, Benigno Aquino III, as requested and signed by Benjamin P. Buling. Please help me share this matter. MR. PRESIDENT, this letter comes from our deepest within. We are writing this open letter to let you know what we are currently experiencing with SSS. I, Benjamin P. Buling is a retired plant technician from ORICA since October 14, 2012 on my 60th birthday. I am from Dumaguete, Negros Oriental, Visayas.Unfortunately, until now I haven’t received yet my lump sum. It’s been a year and almost a month from my retirement date to present, waiting for the money I worked for. We are very disappointed with their system. Where is my money now? Mr. President, as far as I remember, 3 or 4 months of waiting from the retirement date, we had a follow up with SSS Dumaguete but they informed us to wait for some reasons. And so we waited. This is my SSS Number 0605919237. Few months later, we called them again to see any improvement. But they informed us again to wait. We even asked them what took them so long to process the claim? Is there any erroneous with my papers? And they answered that everything was fine. Last May 8, 2013, I asked my daughter-in-law to send an email at Malacañang Palace. We had an immediate response from your end Mr. President. So, we were referred to SSS Iloilo. We had conversations with them through emails. We asked their help to let us understand why we were waiting this long time frame. They regret the inconveniences of the delay and asked us to give them a little more time to verify the case. They will get back to update us as soon as possible. The SSS Iloilo Head informed us that she already have it re-encoded because per verification, the claim was recommended for payment but it did not get into the Review Inbox that is why it was not evaluated by the reviewer. She apologized for it since it has something to do with their transition period problems. She added that she already assigned it for re-encoding and will get back to us, the latest, for update. May 20, 2013, we received an email coming from SSS Iloilo. And we got the point that a certain document was needed. It was a Certificate of Business Cessation. Hurriedly, we processed this document and submitted it to SSS Dumaguete on June 3, 2013. Two weeks after, June 17, 2013, I asked my daughter-in-law to ask for an update with my claim. The head of SSS Iloilo told us that the processor made an error in my savings account so it has to be returned for correction. She even added that she’s hoping to settle the claim within the week. On that day, she asked us if we submitted the requested document since she had a talk with the processor and informed her that there was none attached to the claim. So, we called SSS Dumaguete to fix this since we passed the requested document already last June 3, 2013. This made us confused what system do they have, is there something wrong with the system or is it the people, themselves? Each week we had follow ups but we did not receive replies yet until July 1, 2013 an email came stating that my claim was returned to the processor for the correction of my savings account. I cant believe it took them two weeks to return my claim to the processor. We thought they sent it last July 17 when they informed us to settle it by that week. And so we sent an email showing we received the same email as that of July 17, 2013 and asked them what happened. On July 2, 2013 we obtained a response and this was the reply we got from them –SSS Iloilo “Your fathers claim was at first evaluated and recommended for payment; then during review, your fathers savings account was erroneously encoded and the matter of his cessation of business was also noticed. When your father father complied with the ceritficate of cessation, the processor directly recommended the claim for payment without correcting the savings account hence the referral back for correction of the claim. On July 9, 2013, we received this email Good afternoon: Your fathers retirement claim was paid on July 02, 2013. Proceeds will be deposited to his savings account at Land Bank-Dumaguete. Withdrawal date is on July 22. Thank you very much for bearing with us. We were so glad that day thinking that our agony was finally over. July 22 came. A Grand Day for all of us here; A Double Wedding of my two sons. I checked my account through Land bank before and on July 22, 2013 but found NOHTING. We are bound of debts, which are unpaid until now expecting that we could withdraw my money by July 22. We were indeed so frustrated Mr. President. We immediately sent them another email expressing our mix-up emotions to this circumstance. But then the SSS Iloilo head told us to coordinate with SSS Dumaguete and Land bank. And so we did. We first went to SSS Dumaguete to check this subject with them. We spoke with their Section Head concerning the situation. We were presented with a letter and asked us to bring it to LandBank Dumaguete. The note indicated that LB Dumaguete should return the unwithdrawn money under my name, with this account number … and below this statement, there’s a box with an X inside, beside is a phrase that shows like this “Erroneous Savings Account”. We brought the letter to LandBank Dumaguete and got the notion that on July 22, 2013 LandBank Main directly returned the money to SSS Main that credited on my account due to a mistaken savings account number again. Hearing this from them, I felt so upset. So we got back to SSS Dumaguete to notify them about this issue. They were so sorry about this. And so the section head informed us to wait for another 2 months for a replacement. Instead of acquiring my money from the bank, they will just issue a cheque to me through post mail. We’ve been checking our Post Office here daily a week from that date to see if they have the cheque already for me, but unluckily there was none. October 14 this year was my 61st birthday but it was so miserable. We got no money. We are loaded with debts from the credit union, from our friends and relatives. We even sold our jewelries in pawnshops. We haven’t paid for our utilities yet. There were days that we had left none to buy for rice and food. So we borrowed money again. Our Health Maintenance is so important for me and for my spouse, now that we both are senior citizens. We have medicines and prescriptions to follow daily but we’re so down to think that we have to stop it for this meantime. This affects our health. It is causing damages on our part. My neighbors here are our witnesses. Oh God, I can’t believe this is happening to us but we have to. On my 61 years of existence with my family as well, this is the merely phase that we suffer from great poverty. This is so ridiculous. This needs an action Mr. President from your end. And thus, my daughter-in-law called and spoke with SSS Dumaguete’s section head last October 12,2013. She informed us to wait a little more time since the cheque has been approved and ready for a replacement. They actually received a letter coming from the SSS Main regarding this on September 9, 2013. A day after, September 10, 2013, they too sent a letter concerning this to SSS Iloilo. So it was set for a replacement. But WHY is it til today I haven’t obtained yet my lump sum; my personal money from my hardwork? WHAT takes them soooo long Mr. President to issue a cheque? Will it cost them months for it? Are they working on it immediately? Or let it rest for awhile? We have no idea. This case is so rare, actually this was already elevated to SSS Dumaguete’s Branch Manager. She’s currently handling my case. Last October 14, 2013 on my birthday, we went to her office since we were referred to her. She can’t even imagine that there is this such case. As she opened her computer, it was showing that we’ve been paid and that there was no flaw with my claim. We told her what had happened these past months. She reacted on this and guaranteed us that she will be making all what she can do to update us the soonest. She gave us her contact number and asked ours too. Last Monday, October 21 we had a talk with her. We saw a file of papers on her desk and one of those was mine. She was examining and tracking my claim. She communicated with the SSS Iloilo Head, and asked if my claim was due for REPLACEMENT or NOT? And the head replied yes, it is due for a replacement. And the SSS Dumaguete Branch Manager asked back, “So WHEN?” the head, did not reply and that’s it. We also communicated with Iloilo last few weeks but did not receive any response from them. Good thing the branch manager is taking actions to this immediately. She even thanks us for some reasons. They were issues that were dig up. For now, we are waiting for her call for an update. Hopefully, SSS Iloilo will reply immediately as well. Mr. President please spare a little of your time for this. This scenario is not ordinary. It’s been a year and a month. We need your action towards this. I badly need my personal money the soonest. Your urgent response is highly appreciated Mr. President. Thank you and God speed. SIGNED: BENJAMIN P. BULING CREATED BY: Vanessa Jane B. Buling
Posted on: Wed, 23 Oct 2013 07:29:44 +0000
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