Things That Make My Day

Things That Make My Day
Think. Ideas. Do.

Thursday, October 31, 2013

A Goodreads selected quote

The men who cannot laugh at themselves frighten me even more than those who laugh at everything.
 

Anne Perry
October 28, 1938: Happy 75th birthday, Anne Perry! She now writes successful detective novels, but Perry has a criminal past of her own. She was born Juliet Hulme and was convicted for her role in the 1954 murder of her friend's mother. Their story was told in the movie Heavenly Creatures.

i agree. 

Happy Halloween everyone

It is the All Hallow's Eve, meaning All Saint's Eve

so monsters, unless they are Pixar-type monsters (aka the Good Monsters) arent really the perfect costumes
however, as a friend Cynch said, one must be costumed as religious figures

i said, isnt that being a little too assuming about being good?
you would consider worthy to dress up an angel, or for that matter a Saint?

and i just cant. 

so i am dressing up as a superhero.  Not a monster, but a good guy, and not a perfect one
after all, superheroes dont have to be perfect.  they can be flawed

sort of fits, right?

will post pictures tomorrow, most likely, or at least during the weekend.

a fairy was another choice.  see i have a twinkly dress with a twinkly headdress, but i wore it in one of the Halloween events already.

another choice was Peanuts Linus's the Great Pumpkin.  I had a long orange dress for the pumpkin colors, and a green headdress for the leafy accouterments

haha. 

those of you who cant visito the graves of their loved ones to please remember they can light candles at home (or in church) and pray anywhere

Friday, October 25, 2013

Referring to HTT's post on SSS




 

Solving the trillion-peso SSS problem

click here to read HTT's post on the SSS


i thought you readers might like to take the time to read Horace T. Templo's take on the SSS unfunded liability and contribution increase issue.

SSS Announcement: SSS Offices Nationwide open 8-5 Saturdays startig OCT 26 2013



ALL SSS Offices will be open every Saturday 8-5 starting tomorrow, 26 October 2013
SSS Service Offices (they are at the malls) will be open 10-6.

One of My Fave Poems - Kipling's The 1000th Man



Kipling is one of my favorite artist.  Rikki-tikki-tavi is a character i adore.
for Trekkers or fans of  Classic Trek (TOS, that is), Kirk says this about Spock

and you, do you have your thousandth man?

click here for the poem from which this was taken, reproduced here for easy reading


The Thousandth Man




0NE man in a thousand, Solomon says.
Will stick more close than a brother.
And it's worth while seeking him half your days
If you find him before the other. Nine hundred and ninety-nine depend
On what the world sees in you,
But the Thousandth Man will stand your friend
With the whole round world agin you.
'Tis neither promise nor prayer nor show
Will settle the finding for 'ee.
Nine hundred and ninety-nine of 'em go
By your looks, or your acts, or your glory.
But if he finds you and you find him,
The rest of the world don't matter;
For the Thousandth Man will sink or swim
With you in any water.
You can use his purse with no more talk
Than he uses yours for his spendings,
And laugh and meet in your daily walk
As though there had been no lendings.
Nine hundred and ninety-nine of 'em call
For silver and gold in their dealings;
But the Thousandth Man he's worth 'em all
Because you can show him your feelings.
His wrong's your wrong, and his right's your right,
In season or out of season.
Stand up and back it in all men's sight
With that for your only reason!
Nine hundred and ninety-nine can't bide
The shame or mocking or laughter,
But the Thousandth Man will stand by your side
To the gallows-foot - and after!



Wednesday, October 23, 2013

A Goodread quote by Ursula K. Le Guin

Love doesn't just sit there, like a stone, it has to be made, like bread; remade all the time, made new.
 
Ursula K. Le Guin

October 21, 1929: Happy 84th birthday, Ursula K. Le Guin! The pioneering fantasy writer's parents were also respected writers. Her mother, Theodora Kroeber, wrote a popular book about Ishi, then thought to be the last member of the Native American Yahi tribe.

I read a lot of books written by her.  Her EarthSea tales, i especially like the left hand of darkness ....Love indeed has to change, all the time.  It must grow, less it stagnate.

Monday, October 14, 2013

Trending SSS

As an avid reader of all things SSS - i am after all, a member of good standing (meaning i am still contributing at the highest MSC even)  - well, i have to safeguard my future pension, which is why i read - or try to read everything i can about SSS.  Also, i make sure i know about the benefits.... it is important to know one's rights and privileges, after all...

i find SSS in the news.  3 issues are being discussed -

1. the Board bonus of about 1 million each
2. the sale of BGC
3. the increase in contribution - and the state of the Fund

you better believe that i watch over the state of the Fund.  i do because i want to be assured of my pension in the future.  i have a ways to go before i can have a pension

so ... here goes ...... on the state of the fund

first of all, i read the last actuarial valuation of the SSS. well, actually, i am not sure this is the last.  this was the last valuation that Horacio T. Templo (EVP) signed as Chief Actuary.  i read the draft of the next valuation, that was signed by then Deputy Actuary Rizaldy Capulong (VP).  (btw, SSS has a new Chief Actuary. His name is Conrado de la Cruz - SVP)

this is fine and good and basically explains the state of the Fund.  a lot of things are discussed in a valuation report.  As the word valuation implies, the assets of the Fund are valued or priced, and uses factors such as interest rate, interest rate trends, mortality rates (rate of dying, based on probabilities), morbidity rates (rate of diseases...), labor force and all that -

however, this is a subjectual evaluation, meaning if things such as interest rates change, the value of the funds also change.  it is therefore mandatory to re-evaluate it at specific periods. i think sss does it every 3 years, but definitely at least every 4 years as this is required by RA 8282, which is the SSS Law. .you will find words like present value in assessments of assets.

To make a long story short, one cannot take a  once-in-a-lifetime windfall to shore up reserves.  No, that is not done.  liabilities and assets must match. you cannot match say. the sale of the BGC with pensions.  one is a one-time event, the other is a forever (or almost forever, when taken in bulk) stream of money out.
Do you know how much SSS pays in benefits?

tbc......








Wednesday, October 9, 2013

Hierarchy of SSS Beneficiaries - as explained by a lawyer in SSS

Did you see Julie Y. Daza's article Seriously, SSS? last 1 October 2013?

An SSS lawyer filled in some information that was missed by the SSS PCEO at his last presscon at Sofitel.

the hierarchy in awarding SSS benefits goes ----

1. spouse and minor children - these are called primary beneficiaries
2. parents
3. designated beneficiary - this is any named person specified by the member
     it does NOT matter if the beneficiary is not related to the member
     could be a friend
4.  siblings
5.  matured/of-age children

********** in response to
who gets the death benefits when an sss member dies
the amount of the death benefit for a single member is the lump sum of 5 years of pension less whatever pension has been released -
for a married member - the spouse gets a lifetime pension - called a survivorship pension provided the spouse remains single and unattached.  Minor children receive 10% of the monthly pension or 250 pesos, whichever is larger.
incapacitated children have a pension for as long as he/she is alive.



Thoughts on the COA reports about SSS

I read the COA reports on SSS just a few days ago and i wonder

does COA also have the right to criticize the operations of SSS?  is this one of their powers? 
i dont really know, but is that legit?  not that i don think that the processing is really too slow.

people blame the sss employees for the slow processing, but is this really correct?
change is usually a management initiative and if people will remember,
SSS  used to have the so-called COS, short for Covenant of Service - instituted under Lani Nanagas
This was echoed in the ARTA, which is Anti-Red Tape Act,  which resulted in the Citizen's Charter, published under Secretary and PCEO Romy Neri.   processing times where even shaved a bit


so why the slowdown?  people say that the slowdown is due to changes in procedures
a lady member whose late husband was a VP in one of the tv channels said ...................
if the procedure is wrong, why not change it?  perhaps it is already being changed except that the transactions have really piled up ..........

I have a solution.  But alas, i havent been asked.  Is it the correct solution?  i dont know.  but it will speed up the process methinks.  Could be expensive, but i havent costed it out.  Still, with the BGC (Bonifacio Global City) sale, SSS would have the funds.  

well, everyone and his neighbor want the SSS processing to go faster and many think they have the solutions - i think so.  there are many solutions.  Implementation is the key.

Of course, there are many who are claiming for benefits and want it N-O-W!  Not tomorrow.  
I too have a claim and i am waiting for my benefit to clear ............

the other COA report is about the % of investments on loan to members being larger than the  allowed % in the SSS Charter.  this issue is old, and the reason is simple.  Members usually borrow before they get laid off, and when they get laid off, they are not able to pay, and when they get rehired, they dont pay at once.  Sound familiar?  Of course, hard to pay when you dont have the herewithal.

The unpaid debts increase SSS's loan to member portfolio.  COA says SSS should collect.  No doubt SSS wants these debts paid.  First of all, the SSS mandate is service to members.  While SSS is a mainly a retirement fund, it gives what is called short-term benefits, loans being one of these.  

Does COA want SSS to force members to pay?  how?  the only guarantee SSS holds that these debts will be paid upon final settlement.  Final settlement is  either death or retirement or permanent total disability.

In previous administrations, SSS has tried to collect by forcing suspension to the new employer if he doesnt deduct from employees who have loan balances.  there were condonations. condonations are nice but if granted too often is also bad because members tend to wait for these programs. conodations are also unfair to those who pay regularly.

SSS can suspend the granting of loans.  This will stop the increase in the portfolio.  But is that fair to the SSS members who pay "faithfully" and diligently? they should not be penalized for the others who did not pay.






Tuesday, October 8, 2013

A Story from Ryna

Ryna is a Philippine Science Graduate who works at the SSS Zamboanga Office
This is her short story.
 
We are on the process of recovery. My in-laws are directly affected because their house are located near the mangroves and they had to evacuate to our place. But nevertheless, it is better to have lost a little goods (they tend a sari-sari store and it was ransacked by the rebels) as long as they are alive. After the crisis (still undergoing clearing operation until now), we experienced continuous rains for 4 days and our house was partially damaged. 
 
Thank you for the help the SSS family extended us through prayers and words of encouragement.
 

Monday, October 7, 2013

September-October birthdays

BIRTHDAY GREETINGS TO ....

Minda M - b75
Sandy S  - b75
Terry P    - b75
Archie N - b75

Dodo
Ermatzki
Nelia OP
Yet OD
Kams


Wednesday, October 2, 2013

The Calamity Package for Zamboanga

The SSS Calamity Package for Zambo is the same as that offered to the Habagat-affected areas -
So this is the -

Salary Loan Early Renewal program and the lifting of the suspension of salary loan privileges for those who attempted to have their loans condoned but wasnt able to abide by the terms

3-month advanced pension

real estate loan arrangements

Confucius says, a Goodreads quote

Wheresoever you go, go with all your heart. 


Confucius
September 28, 551 B.C.: The legendary Chinese philosopher, Confucius, was born on the Shandong peninsula, 2,563 years ago today. His family was poor and in his youth he tended livestock, but in later years he had many disciples and served for a time as the Minister of Crime.

Dont you see a similarity with the Bible's story of Ruth? 
Where thou goest, there too i shall go

or quite simply, God's Will be Done.

Increase in SSS Contributions

Do you remember PNoy's SONA wherein he indicated his approval of the increase in SSS Contributions?
PNoy said it was going to be 11% instead of 10.4%, and the Monthly Salary Credit would increase to 16,000 instead of 15,000.

methinks it will be implemented soon, perhaps in January 2014 so that Voluntary Members such as OFWs, and Self-Employed Members (SE/VM) would not have to adjust their advanced payments for this year.
Those who paid for more than one year would have to pay adjustments otherwise SSS may reduce the MSC by one step so that there are no underpayments.  Also, those employers who are using Excel spreadsheets for their payroll need not adjust anything for the year.

So, if you were paying at the 15K MSC, which is 1,460.00 - it would now be 1,650 and if you wanted to continue to pay at the maximum level, it would now be 11% times 16,000 or 1,750 pesos.

Watch out for the SSS Announcement!!

Tuesday, October 1, 2013

Goodreads quote and one i often say - the proof of the pudding

The proof of the pudding is the eating.


Miguel de Cervantes Saavedra
September 29, 1547: Spanish writer Miguel de Cervantes Saavedra was 58 when his novel, Don Quixote, was published. Before that he served in the Spanish Navy, was captured and enslaved by Algerian pirates, did a stint as a tax collector, and was jailed for embezzlement. He was born near Madrid, 466 years ago today.

i often say this because people claim many things ....
and the proof, i always say, is in the eating.