Monte Vista at Sariaya, Quezon

A 3-day weekend trip.  21-23 August 2015.  There were three cars, my car - which our eldest drove.  our youngest crv which she drove, and my sister-in-law's van which our nephew drove.

We occupied two adjoining cottages, enjoying the shared back veranda that overlooked what we laughingly called a moat.  There was a small romantic hut (well, we were a family group - but a honeymooning couple might enjoy it) and there was a swing - like the ones we had at College of the Holy Spirit (Mendiola) back in my grade school days.

We went to Sariaya, Quezon for a spot of the beach.  It was short walk - about 10 steps - to the beach.

Very nice place, i definitely recommend it. Twas a windy and rainy weekend (Ineng was battering Luzon), and i enjoyed the sound of the waves crashing against the shoreline.  As usual, it reminded me of the poem of John Masefield ...." I must go down to the seas again....", and in fact, i recited it as the waves lapped against the shore.

The rooms were clean, the decor Filipino, and there was cable. The a/c was in excellent condition and there is only one thing i have to suggest - and that is that they equip the cottage with faucets near the stairs so that the sand does not track into the cottage.

The food was delish, and very Filipino. The veggies were fresh, in fact - they were freshly picked from their gardens.  You could taste the freshness - simply cooked food was great!

You ought to go, and enjoy the beach, the sun, and the local sites, and local delicacies - and if you were into cooking, you could play at cooking.

My brothers and nephews played poker several nights, with the winnings changing each night.

I caught up with prayers and meditations, and generally rested.

We were able to visit 2 churches.  The cathedral and a local church.

We bought lukban sausages, of course!

And though there was breakfast, we also bought delicious tapa. yummy.

and i didnt know how sick i really was ............

pics to follow......

Corregidor: A Trip to the Past

I encourage you to visit Corregidor.  It is an unspoilt beauty, very rough edges - with weapons of war.  Nature and men. Juxtapositions.

Battery. Huge guns.  Heavy artillery.  Caves of the Dead.  Forests.  Monkeys.  Lizards.
Skittering animals.

Memorials.  Honors.  Agonies Remembered.

The white altar was the only one i remembered from the past.  It seemed I had visited that place with my Dad, who was a WWII veteran.  The white dome, the shaft of sunlight.  that stung my memory.

Visit.
Remember the past. Remember the price of freedom.

Enjoy the beach.  Have a barbeque.  Enjoy the pool, too.
and if you are into it, there's a zip line.

the only thing i have to suggest - make it more friendly to individuals who are disabled.
soldiers may want to visit, and see the weapons of war then....

Pictures to follow.  (i have to download from my cameras).

Answers to some questions to a post

for some people who do not pay attention to instructions:

someone asked if they can continue the payments of a deceased member so his wife can have a pension.

No. If the member is deceased, no payments are allowed after death.  The member is already dead.

There should be funeral benefits - 20 thousand, and since the member had payments, there would be death benefits.  The person asking the question did not say how many payments had been made so I cannot say if the widow is entitled to a pension just the same.

Someone asked about gaps in contribution payments

Let me stress again that SSS does not accept retroactive payments. Once a payment is delayed, it creates a gap. It is called a gap because there is a space instead of a payment.  Ergo, a gap is at least one month and can be as long as several months (or years for that matter).  There are no SE or VM late payments except those for OFWs.  OFWs can pay the entire year before the year is up.

On quesions on penalty and interest on loans -

There is already a post on this.  However.  Note that all delayed payments are charged penalties, which is 1% per month - so if a payment is skipped, that payment will have penalties charged until it is paid.

Someone mentioned migrating payments to VM and selecting lower payments

There is no such banana in SSS. Payments are NOT migrated.  Payments are simply recorded as dictated by the status.  So payments made as an employee stay are reflected as employee-employer payments and voluntary payments are recorded as is.  As previously mentioned, do NOT decrease payments as it will affect pension computations to a lower amount.

a Robert Frost quote

A poem begins as a lump in the throat, a sense of wrong, a homesickness, a lovesickness. 

Robert Frost

August 1, 1915: Robert Frost's The Road Not Taken was first published in the Atlantic Monthly 100 years ago today. While the poem works as a metaphor for the weight we put on turning points in our lives, Frost later insisted the verses were simply inspired by a literal walk in the woods.

i love a lot of Robert Frost's poems, 

Mending Wall, 
The Road Not Taken, 
Stopping by Woods on a Snowy Evening

 - to name three favorites.

stop asking questions on post dated 13 SEPTEMBER 2012

I DONT KNOW WHY SOME PEOPLE CANNOT FOLLOW DIRECTIONS.

STOP ASKING QUESTIONS ON THAT POST BECAUSE I HAVE ANOTHER POST, SAME TOPIC.  POST THERE.

TOO MANY QUESTIONS ON THAT POST.

Amadeo, Cavite: 1 August

Amadeo, Cavite.

a place of childhood memories.

My cousins have a place there where Ama (Dr. Bibiano Angkaw, MD (+)) had his practice.

In the days of my youth, there was a loom, where Aling Isay did her weaving - and where i learnt to do a bit.  It was an experience - there was a method, and the tinny patch i was able to weave will remain in my memory.

We spent summers there when we were small, and the Church seemed miles away .... and there was a bakery right beside the house,. i remember Sundays (we had to wake up early to go to church) and the smell of baking would waft though our noses as we walked past it to go to church - making us doubly eager to finish the mass and mess with the baking.  And yes, we were allowed to bake a few loaves.

The Church now is just a few steps away.  Truly, a child's perspective is quire different from an adult's view.

my cousins had a farm and summers came with the fruits - supsupins, or small delish mangoes would come in bushes or kaengs, as we call it.  And each of us would get one kaeng each (which i suppose would contain about 100 small mangoes) and we would commence to have an eating contest - first one to finish the kaeng's contents.  Not a single one of us finished one bushelful, but it was not for the lack of trying.  those mangoes were delicious.  they still are.

i wanted the windows open (it was cold so some of us felt the windows should be closed) because i like the wind to blow in and freshen the room.

they had a pump and a water tower, so when the water flowed in, someone would have to pump the water into the tower.  i remember a particular warm day when my cousins and i thought we would do the duty.  we all got wet, but we did the job.  One of my cousins who did the duty now lives in Canada and the other cousin is a physician, like his father before him.  He practices here in MetroManila. 

more later....

Reminder only: Always use your SS Number when transacting with SS

Actually, this is a repeat of a reminder post here.

When transacting with any agency or entity, it is always wise to use your ID number.

Thus, with SSS - you need to always use your SS number.

On the other hand, do not publicly reveal your SS number.

So hope this reminder helps you transact with SSS

An important thing to also remember is that the SSS frontline will NOT entertain you without an SSS number, unless you dont know your SS number and in fact, wish to know.
If that is your problem, make sure you bring at least 2 government-issued identification cards (of course, with picture), and your birth certificate.

Do you wish to complain your employer for non-remittance of SSS premiums?

many employees are afraid to report their employer to SSS
the reason?  they may get laid off as a consequence of reporting the non-remittance


what you need to do is bring copies of your payslip showing that your employer has deducted sss contributions and ask sss for a print of your contributions that would show no contributions for that period.

that is sufficient proof for non-remittance.

****

Have you forgotten your SSS Number?

If you have stopped paying a ways before, and you have forgotten your SSS number and you want to know how to continue paying ....

very easy, go to the SSS office most convenient or nearest to you, armed with 2 IDs, preferably those issued by the government (driver's license, voter's ...) and ask for your SS number.  You might want to bring an NSO-issued birth certificate as well - since birthdays can be used as tie-breaker if you have a popular name.

otherwise, the SSS front line will not give you your SSS number.

if you are asking someone else to do it for you, make sure the person has 2 government issued IDs as well and proper authorization from you

ALSO, go ahead and get your UMID ID.  If this is first UMID ID, it is free - otherwise there is a fee. Last I heard it was 350.oo pesos for reissuance of ID

Doing SSS transactions at the MALL

Below is a list of SSS Offices at the Malls and the services they offer

for OVERSEAS PENSIONER

Just a little update.... but i think i need to get a bigger version.  will repost

Other SSS Loans

Did you know that there are other SSS Loans ?
Business Loans - for the entrepreneurs among you
Direct Housing - for OFWs
House Repairs - Direct and through Financial Partners


I will present these if there are any browsers interested -
let me know if there is any interest

Alab - Chef Tatung's new place near Shakey's Morato

We finally got to try Chef Tatung's new resto near Tomas Morato last night.  I had eaten at Chef Tatung's place in Sikatuna several times before and liked his food but found his BGC place to far so regretfully, we dropped eating at his place.  We - my close friends - are Kyusi kids and dont like driving through endless traffic just to eat out.  There are, of course, exceptions.

 My balikbayan cousins, Baby Pilar and hubby Phil - chose 2 unusual dishes, one with chicken, the other with shrimps and coconut noodles. twas very good.  i will try to cook a reasonable facsimile sometime and see if i can approach the flavor.

Our chosen appetizer was ampy (short for ampalaya, that is, bitter lemons), with radish, red onions, and thinly sliced tomatoes, and a very good blend of vinegar.  really very good vinegar.  i will try and blend my vinegar similarly.  this was an excellent appetizer indeed.

my choice -- morcon and crispy pata. let me tell you about it.....

i have to say that the family recipe for morcon beats his by a mile, at least.
but then, ours is a classic recipe and his was meat with a boiled egg inside and tomato-based sauce.
very tender though.

his crispy pata had lemon grass  cooked with it, which reduced the "umay" factor but also changed its classic favor.

the bibingka was fine and his chocnut cake was the same - as when he was in Sikatuna,,,, same recipe no doubt.

Good news - SSS increases Funeral Benefit effective for contingencies on or after 1 August 2015

The new computation of the funeral grant is as follows

Examples:

if your AMSC is 15,000 and you have worked for 300 months, then the funeral grant for you would be:

20,000 + (0.5%  x  300 x 15,000 )  = 20,000.00 + 22,500 = 40,000. because the maximum is 40,000.00

wondering about the delay in the delivery of the SSS UMID id?

Yes.  Well, yes. SSS stopped production last 16 March due to negotiation failure/breakdown.

They recently resumed production 16 June 

They are scheduled to finish their backlog by August.

So for example, you had your picture captured last April 16, you should get your ID released this week.

i hope they keep to their schedule.

PNB loans for SSS pensioners.

here's the Star take on this piece of news

Interest and Penalty Answer on SSS Salary Loan Question

There have been many questions on interest and penalty on SSS Loans
Instead of answering these questions individually, i have decided to post this little tidbit for their information.

If there are specific questions on this answer, please comment -

Answer taken from the SSS Website


INTEREST AND PENALTY

The loan shall be charged an interest rate of 10% per annum based on diminishing principal balance, and shall be amortized over a period of 24 months.

Interest of 10% shall continue to be charged on the outstanding principal balance until fully paid

Any excess in the amortization payment shall be applied to the outstanding principal balance.

Loan amortization not remitted on due date shall bear a penalty of 1% per month until the loan is fully paid.

***********************************************************************

you can also find this at the back page of the salary loan application form

register as an online member so you can request for a SOA

interest and penalties change on a daily basis, on a straight-line method

If you wish to read more on salary loan, read more on the SSS website
if you have problems reaching the sss website, drop a comment so i can inform the sss

click here to access loans on the sss website

more about the SSS Pensioner loan from PNB

here's a follow-up story regarding the PNB loan
this is from Businessmirror, page b2, 18 June 2015

Apocalypse Now? some viral post evidence....................

you dont think so?

some visual proofs that the end may be nearer than what we think if we DO NOT CHANGE

click here

TABULAR SUMMARY OF SSS BENEFITS

Just a simple tabular summary of SSS benefits -  as released by CCD, PASED

This table will allow you, the readers to look at the benefits at a glance.

All computations are based on the MSC or monthly salary credit.

It must be remembered that SSS does not allow huge jumps in the MSC from one period to the other so that the ANC coverage is very misleading and rather irresponsible (from minimum to maximum was the example) - but this is simply my personal opinion.  This is already discussed in another post and will not be repeated here.

Some members who think they are very hip in mathematics and finances often demand interest payments on contributions.  May I ask these members to please temper their arrogance and think about not being too da*n selfish.  They should also think about trying to get a private insurance policy - on retirement - and see if they can get a rate as good as that of the SSS.

Most people think that SSS exists for themselves.  They demand huge increases without thinking of the consequences.

Wake up people.
SSS is a form of social taxation.  The higher paying members subsidize the lower paying members.

Friends and acquaintances who are rich and famous shrug off SSS pensions, calling it useless.
Money, my dear friends, is never useless

note:  there is an increase in funeral grant that is not yet reflected in this summary

you can find this same table on the sss website


click here to view the table on the sss website

The weight of a soul

very simple. 21 grams

the info source

Did you hear about the SSS Pensioner loans - from PNB?

Here is the relevant press data or should i say picture
Basically, this loan is being offered by PNB so only pensioners whose pension accounts are with PNB can avail of this loan.  So please apply to PNB directly.

Pensioners who wish to transfer their pensions accounts to PNB must first inform SSS, get the new forms, open an account, inform SSS of the new account, and leave the old account open until SSS deposits to the new account.

Requesting things from the SSS

Like any other government office, transacting with SSS requires knowledge of procedures, forms, and locations.  It is rare that SSS makes announcements to the public regarding changes in their forms so in this blog, i try to update my readers on forms that have changed, in the belief that knowing which or what forms to use may assist them in transacting with the institution.

Here is the new form:

A meeting of friends, Friday 5 June 2015

Ofelia Templo treated us - Mamu (Emily Ferrer),  Ronnie Pingol, Hermie Bungay, Ging dela Paz, and myself to dinner at Chili's at Tomas Morato last Friday.

It was also a good luck/farewell dinner for Ronnie who is migrating to Canada this June.

Ofie told us about their trip to Europe, and that was great.

Makes me wonder when i can go off on a European tour (i wish it need not be after retirement, and instead be .................. next year if not this year).

We saw a  bit of the pictures  and heard about their food trip, pizzas in Italy, for example - because of Jutes or Junjun.

We also touched a bit on politics ... Grace Poe, for example

As for food, Ofie hit all my faves - fajitas (shrimps, steak, chicken), quesadillas, salsa

An SSS Offer: Did you know that you can have SS sell your shares of stock?

You might have missed the SS announcement a while back about selling your stock shares that you obtained through the SSS stock loan investment program ....

well, you can - here's the announcement again

*****************************************************************************

SSS offers members option to sell shares for delinquent stock investment and privatization fund loans

12 February 2015

The Social Security System (SSS) is calling on members with outstanding loans under the Stock Investment Loan Program (SILP) and the Privatization Fund Loan Program (PFLP) to avail themselves of the option to sell their shares of stocks under the two programs.

“Despite loan condonation programs that we have offered in the past, there are still quite a number of SSS members who have let their unpaid SILP and PFLP loans balloon into staggering amounts due to penalties and interest,” said SSS Senior Vice President and concurrent Officer-In-Charge for Lending and Asset Management May Catherine Ciriaco. As of 31 December 2014, there are 3,037 delinquent SILP loan accounts, amounting to P304.44 million, inclusive of penalties and interest. There are also 5,755 delinquent PFLP loan accounts, totaling P304.19 million, with penalties and interest. The Social Security Commission in September 2014 approved the Option to Sell Shares of Stocks, as a way to lessen these delinquent accounts that total over P608.63 million. In the late 1980s, SSS offered the SILP to give its members an opportunity to invest in the stock market. Similarly, it offered PFLP in 1994 to enable its members to participate in the initial public offering of Petron shares which at that time was owned entirely by the government. The PFLP was also open to SSS members who were interested in buying shares of stock of Meralco that it was disposing at that time. Under the option to sell shares, the member-borrower will execute a Special Power of Attorney authorizing the SSS to sell his shares of stocks at the prevailing market price, based on the quotation of an accredited broker and subject to the usual broker’s commission, taxes and other fees. The net proceeds from the sale of the shares of stocks will then be applied to the member’s outstanding SILP or PFLP loan balance. “Any excess amount after application to the outstanding SILP/PFLP loan balance will be applied to his delinquent salary or housing loan, if any,” Ciriaco explained. “If none, or if there is still excess amount, then this will be refunded to the member-borrower.” However, if the net proceeds from the sale of the member-borrower’s shares of stock are not sufficient to cover the outstanding SILP or PFLP loan balance, then the member shall be required to pay the remaining amount either in cash, from a salary loan renewal, or from the final benefits (total disability, retirement, and death). However, the remaining balance will continue to be charged with interest and penalties until fully paid. “While this is not the condonation program that members are waiting for, the Option to Sell program is the next best way for members to finally pay off their outstanding loans under the SILP and PFLP to ensure that they fully enjoy their SSS benefits without deductions,” Ciriaco said. Members interested to apply for the Option to Sell Shares Program may contact Teresita Badiola or Ma. Divina Cadorna at the SILP Section of the SSS Member Loans Department, 11/F of the SSS Main Office, or call 435-9862 and 920-6401 locals 5887 and 5915 for further details. **************************************************************************** Here is the form to be used

Cuties galore - a look at a viral post

I remember when i saw Beastmaster starring Marc Singer in the title role
my favorite guys were the little ferrets

so take a look at these ferrets

Read about the House Bill on new Philippine ID? What about the UMID ID?

New Philippine ID? i say what? again, please.
Wasnt all the fuss about the Unfied Multi-IDentification id?  the UMID id, remember?

Didnt everyone go through all the fuss of lining up again, some even looking a bit haggard but following directives ...... and orders, and complying.

here we go again, is that it?
or perhaps producing ids are a lucrative business......

PENSIONERS: Your pension account must contain only your pension

Some pensioners keep tons of money in their pension account.
First of all, i would like to suggest that your pension account be an ATM account, the easier to withdraw if you, as a pensioner, become incapacitated - for whatever reason.

make sure whoever you entrust your atm card with is a person of integrity. something that is in short supply these days.

did you know that SSS can get the monies in your pension account?
well, the institution can, so be alert.

better to keep a separate account where you accumulate your funds.
Just a suggestion.

Need smiles in this crazy world? take a look at some of these Viral post pics

cutsies  ---click here

grumpy cutsies --->  click here as well

more cutsies ------>  click


.............. made me smile .....

Here is a directed post to make you smile

i cannot help but smile when i see this cat ....... prancing
he is just the cutest cat ever .... see that reference horse - a photo in the olympics

click here to see the cat and to put a smile on your face

More on the SSS-PESO Fund --- here's the brochure

 Read about the SSS Provident Fund.
SSS calls it SPF, not to be confused with SPA.

.. as for me, i'm going for the Pag-ibig fund. why, there are less restrictions
to be frank with you, readers - the return is supposed to be greater under the SPF than Pag-ibig 2

SSS Media Advisory - passing it on to my readers ... a Help Desk

Museo Orlina at Tagaytay, Sunday - 17 May

Alice had been telling me about Museo Orlina located in Tagaytay for some time now.

And Reality came last Sunday, 17 May when we set off to finally take our look-see

A champagne "flute", designed by Orlina, owned by Lagdameo

at the lobby, other art works - Orlina in the video

lovebirds - Alice and Manny

Manny, in the lower grounds, admiring the Pilita art

Jhong

at Starbucks

King One Hot Pot - Saturday, 16 May 2015

I availed of one of these promo thingamabobs and bought 3 vouchers.

The place is on the second floor - right opposite chili's (a place i know very well as i love their fajitas), nice, relatively new and the staff are polite and courteous, and not just that, but eager to serve.  It was equipped with an elevator, which was a plus for me since i am disabled.  stairs can be difficult for me, particularly narrow, steep ones.

The winner in the appetizer section was the fresh ampalaya.  It had a dash of salt and garlic, some acetic acid (vinegar, that is).  The adobo eggs were alright but some were a tad burnt.  The tofu was fine, but my bro's fried tofu is much better.

We had a choice of soup, so we got the split version - but neither one satisfied me the way Luk Foo's soup did.  The viands were fine - the shrimps (my nephew who is allergic to shrimps was not with us) were small, but was okay.  The meats were not as interesting.

They were billed as the best hotpot.  not quite, not for me.
but it wasnt bad.

i'd have to vote Luk Foo still.
i must remember to eat at David's Tea House. I think i already forgot the taste - that is, if it is better than Luk Foo's or not.

An SSS information post - being passed to my readers for your edification

Bradley's Bulalo at Tagaytay, near the Rotonda

well, so we had bulalo at Bradley's.

so we had Bulalo.  which is really nothing but bone marrow, beef and some veggies
since bulalo soup normally cooks all day, it is usually ready when one does order
always good with patis, red sili (crushed for the spice), and the tartness of calamansi

we had 2 salads - ensaladang ampalaya -- which had too much water, and tamed the taste too much
the mango salad - which almost had the same ingredients - tomatoes, onions, and bagoong, of course

then for an ender - we had inihaw na pusit, not as good as Muang Thai's but it was ok

then we had a lively debate about the real-or-fake-sunflowers that served as decor
since they were very far, we werent quite sure.

i was sure i had seen real sunflowers even bigger than those
but was not quite sure if what was on display was on real

finally, we asked someone to go over and look

.... shhhhh. it was fake

May 10 - Mother's Day

We spent Mother's Day with Mama Orencia, the mother of our Sakonit friend and Sayans batchmate, Paeng Orencia.  She had just turned 99 last May 6 but their celebration was on the Sunday.

She was sitting in bed, having lunch when i arrived, my cake - i chose Chocolate Mousse from Red Ribbon because she wanted something soft, not so sweet - and that was the Mousse for me.

The food was good, as usual - but there was lechon this time, and maki. i liked the 2, and the shanghai.  The shanghai was thin but delicious. Nice for pika-pika.

I missed Tita Cherry, Tito Billy Abueva's wife.  She and Mama Orencia are best buds, but she wasnt there this time.  I figured Amihan was out of town.  Apparently Butch didnt have a driver for the today so he was home-locked, and i dont know where Jerry and Liza were.  Manny and Alice had just deplaned from Canada so i thought they wouldnt be able to make it.

So twas me, Joey Dumandan, and Dale Villamor who joined Paeng .........

Kickstarter's a SOLAR PUFF Lantern

It folds - and wow, solar powered

i love kickstarter projects.  if you have funds to burn, instead of just spending it all on recreational drugs or good times, spare a little for projects such as these.... and thus imagine dark places in the world lit with light, with your help - as you sit there enjoying your martini or your champagne and your canapes with Russian caviar


take a look at this WOW project by Kickstarter

SSS Advisory to Pensioners

Just keeping you abreast of news in the Social Security System

SSS Peso-Fund has started

Just wanted give a heads-up to members

The Peso-fund has started yesterday for some branches.  ASK TODAY.
Same rules.

HERE IS A COPY OF THE NEWS RELEASE;  with slight editing for readability purposes only

SSS voluntary provident fund opens enrollment

6 May 2015

SSS is now accepting enrollment applications for the Personal Equity and Savings Option (SSS-PESO) Fund program, a provident-fund scheme that aims to increase savings among SSS members, particularly for building their retirement fund.

The program is open to all members who are 54 years old and below, and have at least six consecutive contributions under the SSS regular program within the last 12 months prior to enrollment. The member’s effective date of membership commences at the month a contribution is first made to the SSS-PESO fund. “They can participate for an initial contribution of P1,000 with succeeding contributions of at least P1,000, in multiples of P100. An SSS-PESO member can contribute up to a maximum P100,000 per year,” SSS Vice President for Benefits Administration Division Agnes San Jose said. For the pilot implementation of the SSS-PESO Fund, interested members may apply at the following branches in the National Capital Region: Diliman, Cubao, San Francisco Del Monte, Pasig-Shaw, Mandaluyong, Taguig, Makati-Gil Puyat, Alabang, Legarda, Pasay-Roxas Boulevard. Members are required to personally appear before an SSS authorized representative to sign the accomplished forms for confirmation. “This procedure allows us to verify the authenticity of the document and the identity of the applicant,” San Jose explained. By September 2015, all SSS branches nationwide will accept applications to the SSS-PESO Fund. Eventually, enrollment may be done online through the My.SSS portal. The program’s guidelines which came out recently, stated that employed members, regardless of the amount of their current monthly contributions, could join the SSS-PESO Fund while self-employed, voluntary and OFW members should be paying the maximum SSS contribution to be able to contribute in the SSS-PESO Fund. The guidelines further explained that there has to be a corresponding SSS contribution on the month the member will make contributions to the SSS-PESO Fund account. Refunds, withdrawals or benefit claims will be credited to the member’s single savings or current account with an SSS depository bank. Early termination of membership is not allowed. In a previous statement, the SSS said members can enjoy higher return on their savings under the tax-free fund, which offers guaranteed earnings that are based on rates higher than those offered in a savings account or bank deposit. According to San Jose, SSS-PESO Fund contributions are invested in government securities to ensure safety and liquidity and are guaranteed to earn based on prevailing Treasury bill rates. SSS-PESO Fund savings are allocated to three accounts namely, retirement, medical, and general purpose, which covers education, housing, livelihood, and unemployment. Only the portions allotted for medical and general purpose can be withdrawn before the member’s date of retirement. A corresponding management fee will be charged for each SSS-PESO account while penalties will be charged for any withdrawals made before the fifth year of membership in the SSS-PESO Fund. SSS-PESO Fund members may also receive additional earnings depending on the actual income of the fund at the end of each year.

A Goodreads quote on Books, one of my favorite things!

Do you remember the movie, Who's Afraid of Virginia Woolf?

I remember that Elizabeth Taylor starred in that movie with Richard Burton, and i think she was nominated for an Oscar there (i have to google to know for sure) but if she was, indeed, she didnt win because i remember she got the Oscar for Butterfield 8, where she played a lady of the night.

Virginia Woolf is of course, an author.  And i liked this particular verse ...

Books are the mirrors of the soul. 

Virginia Woolf

May 4, 1928: On this day, Virginia Woolf declared she found her fame "vulgar and a nuisance."

Inviting Comments on the SSS website

to the readers of this blog

i am planning to give the SSS webmaster feedback about the SSS website
so i am inviting comments from all of you

for example, is it easy to access the website?
is it easy to navigate?

do you use My.SSS?  tell me about your experience

i promise to inform the webmaster your comments so i hope you comment

thanks!

Muang Thai - a favorite resto

It is almost 11 and i am getting hungry.

I am thinking of food, glorious food.

Muang Thai is a Thai restaurant that is behind Heart Center.

My favorites there -

Fried Catfish Salad - yum, the best so far that i have tasted, and we've ordered the same in a lot of other restos.  the catfish was crispy, the green mango was perfect, and well, they used to have separate sauce, but now they have blended it with the dish.  i prefer it separate because i can season the dish  with as much as i like......

Sizzling Squid - yum.  really, really good food.  The squid was tender, and didnt taste .... fishy, in tagalog, one would say, it doesnt taste malansa.  A taste of tart with soy, and a wonderful blend of spices.  the veggies with it were delicious as well.  i had a good time eating them.

and of course, the Spicy Shrimp Soup - what is it now, Tom Yum (camt remember) which i have been trying to duplicate at home.

and the rice.  There are several that i like, the Muang Thai Rice, their banner rice dish, and the Bagoong Rice.  Either one is good.

The Massaman Curry is okay, and their Satay Chicken/Beef is good, but not as spectacular as the first 2 i mentioned.

hmmmm.

i already have my lunch.  i will try to catch dinner there sometime second week of May, after my laboratory examinations....  

A Korean Hot Pot - Nowana U&I

Ensogo offered a deal for Nowana U&I - unlimited shabu-shabu for 2 and an order of Bulgogi.

Our family loves hot pot - so i bought a voucher and brought my nephew to this new place ,,, along Mother Ignacia.

It is a new resto, but if you are disabled, you must be prepared to negotiate the stairs.  I had a bit of difficulty and asked my nephew to hold on to my cane.  The stairs are a bit narrow, like some of the old houses in Manila.

The Bulgogi was too sweet and too liquidy - and this didnt match the hot pot.  I would have preferred it a little less watery, with perhaps a thicker sauce, and with a little bite.  Moreover the meat was practically the same one in the hot pot.

The hot pot ingredients were pretty standard - tofu, veggies (2 kinds), some shrimps. fish balls, fresh eggs, and meat that you had to ask for.  For seasoning there was garlic, onions, red hot pepper (red sili), green hot pepper.  Then they served a concoction they had prepared.  We requested for soy sauce and calamansi, since both of us like soy and the tartness of calamansi.

Once you've layered the taste, the soup was good.  we had a lot of it.  we had 2 servings of the meat, and we went to get ingredients twice.  as my nephew puts it, there was nothing special.  it was okay, but not special.  

The soup was good - after we added spices.  i can go there again for the soup, but i have to think about the stairs.

and oh, the bathroom was clean and nice.  Of course, we were the only guests there....... as the resto had just newly opened....

i wanted to say that you should take advantage of the ensogo offer.

and oh, i told the servers that their pot was too shallow.  i mean hot pots were meant to contain lots of soup, and their pot just didnt do it.  also, their tables didnt have the sunken thing for the hot pot, so the pots were on the table, with this cookware that uses gas in a canister.  The disadvantage, hard to get the soup

Provident Funds ....like the SSS Peso-Fund, Pag-ibig2 Fund

remember when SSS announced the SSS Provident Fund - that is - The SSS Peso Fund -
 wherein interest followed the 90-day T bill?
well, that fund is still not in play.  Yep, it has been postponed.  The fund is similar to the Flexi-fund offered to OFWs.  But there are many restrictions.

If you check the Pag-ibig website, there is a Pag-ibig 2 offer wherein contributions are voluntary, have a better interest rate than bank deposits, but the interest rates are not comparable to the SSS Provident Fund.

however, the Pag-ibig offer has less restrictions so if you want to invest now, and with less hassles, go with the Pag-ibig 2 fund.
also, did you know that you can also increase your pag-ibig 1 contributions.
i know, HR never said anything, right?

do you wonder if HR really cares about you?

well .....

SSS UMID cards - An SSS Advisory

Just to make sure you are kept abreast of SSS media advisory of the release of SSS UMID cards

An Angel in the Mail

Instead of Passing this on to mail to only 10 people
am pasting this in my blog.

add a comment .......... and pray for you and your friends

Have you stopped paying your SSS contributions? You can continue - no sweat - PART 2

This is part 2 of the earlier post with the same title.

Yes, you can continue to pay your contributions after you stop, even if the stop is a long time (like 10++ years).  However, if you were self-employed, you might need to be interviewed again, depending on circumstances.

Otherwise, all you need to do is pay as voluntary since you already have previous contributions.

Remember to use the new payment form for SSS Contribution payments.

this is how it looks ...

a reduced copy of the form

click to see the copy in the sss website

Are you an SSS Claimant?

Yes? that means you must have a STUB.  if you dont have a stub. you are NOT a claimant, okay

Some of you do follow-ups too soon, wasting your time and money because the result is the same - your claim is still pending.

The thing is, as Julia Roberts says, you need to ask the frontliner when you can do a follow-up, and dont forget to ask their telephone numbers.  if they dont give you the phone number, mosey over to the website and take a look at the branch directory. take note of the number and call them.

if your sss records contain no flaws - such as everything correct, and your documentation is complete, then claims will not take too long.  allow 3 months at least even if the ARTA says shorter before you start stressing about your retirement.

this is why i am advising all would-be retirees to check their sss records to make sure that everything is fine and dandy before retirement, way before retirement.  what is fine and dandy you say?

1. your full name is correct.  full name: first name, middle name, and last name, and whatever suffixes (Jr., III, etc) - no documentation errors

2. your birthdate is correct.  no documentation discrepancies

3.  your date of cover is correct.....

4. all your employers have been correctly captured

5. no missing contributions and loans okay

btw, sss has an ongoing project related to manual verification and consequent pension adjustments that will take til year end to complete.  that is, of course, the target date.  dont be angry if it gets delayed.   there is still Murphy's Law to be considered.

btw. it is easier to email you. so get your child/grandchild or other relative to handle responses for you for email.  texting is a bit hard to explain matters, much, much easier to email - and there is out of pocket expense for the sss personnel so you just may get your response easier

Text Talk - Not for use in this Blog

This is just to announce that I will NOT respond to any comments using text-talk.

i dont see why people cannot spell out the correct tagalog/pilipino  or English word when there is no limit to the text.....

so if you want to ask or comment and expect a response, write in proper tagalog or English.  Even taglish would do, just NOT text talk.

SSS says goodbye to Commissioner Marianita Mendoza

SSS said goodbye to Mrs. Marianita Mendoza this afternoon at a send-off party at the Executive Lounge at the Social Security Building along East Avenue, Diliman, Quezon City.

I had the opportunity to speak with her many times.  She is a warm, wonderful physician, beautiful woman, who is very soft-spoken.


She will be missed by the Officers and Staff of the SSS.

L-R: Trustees: Trustee 1, Alfred, PCEO de Quiros, Trustee 2, Carol, Horace Templo, Comm. Marianita Mendoza, Zaldy

April birthdays

April 1 - Choodze Orpilla
April 3 - Ylla Sales
April 17 - Ricci Sindac
April 29 - Kay Uichanco

Life and Death - a slightly confusing post that i published anyway

I wish everyone a Happy Easter!  The joyous rebirth into Christ's love.

There would be no Resurrection without the Crucifixion, and Life with God can only begin after Death to the Material World, to use one of Madonna's words.

The only sure things,  Brad Pitt says in Meet Joe Black, are death and taxes.  And taxes in the Philippines are truly, truly onerous.  In the Philippines, the sick are further burdened by the Philippines gross income tax.

Death waits for everyone, some have very short waits, others have long, long waits.
Death, they say, is easier than living.  But giving up to death is not quite kosher - which is quite different from having a DNR*.

Hot Pot recs - Luk Foo and David's Tea House

i love hot pot, i think they call this shabu-shabu, a term i confuse with shawarma.

yes, i know. totally different but sometimes word associations can be iffy

but hot pot, yummy.  nothing to beat it.

we are a family who love soup, so hot pot is a favorite with us.

Luk Foo's hot pot is, to my -our taste, one of the best.

Unfortunately, not all Luk Foo places have hot pot.

In Luk Foo - you have to choose the items you want in the hot pot, there is regular beef, imported beef if you wish, pork, veggies (corn, bok choy, pechay, chinese cabbage, young onions, leeks), mushrooms (several kinds), fish/shrimp/squid balls, squid, shrimps (we couldnt have any as my nephew is allergic)....

There are only 2 - the one along E. Rod (cor. Araneta ave) and the one near the airport

The one near the airport has a ghost,and when we were there in 2011 (it really is too far otherwise) to have dinner with my brother - who was returning to the USA

I also tried David's hot pot - oh, also very good.  will visit again and this will probably be sooner than later since this is much nearer.  David's tea house is in the corner of morato and timog and is in the 2nd floor -----

at David's i was on solo flight so i couldnt have a lot of stuff as i wouldnt be able to finish it.  Still, it was good..

if you know of other hot pots, let me know.  Oh yes, i've tried tong yang - when it was along Quezon Ave.

Reaction to the Pinay Investor post regarding ANC's coverage on maximum vs minimum SS contributions

Boy.  That post makes all the individuals in SSS seem  blind, deaf, and dumb. While there may be people there who fit this description, not all of them are bdd

First of all, abrupt increases are not allowed, while payments may be accepted, remember - accept monies, always - BUT when a claim is adjudicated, the member might find his abrupt increases disallowed and given merely a refund, and given a small pension amount.  This would just be right and proper, for his attempts to fool SSS.

First of all, how does this hypothetical person know he will live long enough to get his pension?
What if the member dies before age 55?  His beneficiaries will only get minimum benefits.  What if the member experiences illness or disability - this would depend  on his current MSC, as well as his CYS, to use SSS parlance.

So this system of paying minimum, then opting for sudden increase is NOT a correct strategy.  It can backfire when a member needs money most - in contingency cases.

So, those who attempt to cheat SSS, beware ......
   unless you are in collusion with an SSS employee

Happy Birthday to Horace T. Templo

Happy Birthday to Horace Templo from all of us -

do you like cats? a Colossal look at them

Cats.  Independent. Snotty. Prideful.
and Lovely.

Click and take a look

Clarification On SSS LOANS

People keep asking about loans and loan interest
and i have heard the media hype about it too

All you have to do is - find out how much your net proceeds are and how much is your amortization,

Right now there are only 2 amounts for salary loan
1 month for those with 36 months contribs
2 months for those with 72 months contribs

NO OTHER AMOUNT. so dont ask how much your 5th loan is. okay
the number of times you borrow is moot

Leonard Nimoy - SPOCK

i was a fan.  to me,  Leonard Nimoy was Spock.
enigmatic. calm. cool. collected.  stoic, even.

I liked his poetry.

He was the epitome of Star Trek

I found out about his death whilst i was waiting for my blood extraction at NKTI last Saturday am
the lady beside me was surfing the net using her Dad's tablet (who was also waiting to have his blood extracted) and told him - Nimoy has died .... of COPD.  It was 27 February 2015 in LA, CA

Nimoy will be missed.  i last caught him in one of Oprah's shows.....

click here for funeral news

A Goodreads quote on Reading

Reading is one of my favorite things. Better than TV and better than the movies.  To me, at least. -  Always Better.  Imagination tops any effects.

The more that you read, the more things you will know. The more that you learn, the more places you'll go. 

Dr. Seuss

Theodor Geisel (born March 2, 1904), a.k.a. Dr. Seuss, acquired his pseudonym as a student at Dartmouth. He was caught drinking with friends and, as punishment, was forced to drop out of his extracurricular activities. That didn't stop him from continuing to write for the campus humor magazine using his mother's maiden name, Seuss.

Clarification for Funeral and Death Claims

One of the fundamental documents needed for these claims is the Death Certificate
If the Death Certificate contains errors - there is NOTHING else to be done except to have this corrected.  Okay?

Nothing else.

Alba and Annabel

Two lovely restos at Morato with very good food, both had lunch buffets - and  i indulged a bit, i must admit

the thing is, Spanish food - though very good - is a tad cloying

at Alba's buffet - i tasted their callos, which was ok, but i prefer my mom's Callos a la Madrilena
because my mom tamped down the richness a bit.  their callos was deeply rich, and i couldnt eat more than a spoonful of it.

- their paella was okay, and well, i just have to try my hand at cooking it

the lengua was very good, very rich, but less cloying than the callos - must be the way the tripe tasted .....

the mushroom .... i forgot the actual name was just right and so was the spaghetti
the lechon cochinillo (did i spell that right?) was simply good, but i couldnt eat more of it -
i couldnt even return to the buffet!

i loved the salads and the breads though - similar lovely taste as that of Annabel's

and Annabel;s - i loved the balance of flavors of the food they served in the buffet
i enjoyed the baked oysters - and you could taste the pimiento flavor in it
the beef steak that i had to have well-done because i am a KT, the gorgeous pork belly

i enjoyed the shrimp, but not as much as the oysters
the lengua was delicious, i thought it was a tad better than Alba's but this may been due to the fact that Alba's version was toooooo rich.  The fish was alright, but it was nothing special -

the soup at Annabel's was very delicious, it beat Alba's by a mile.  i should have indulged in another cup of soup - it was that good, yes.

the spaghetti at Alba's was a tad better than Annabel's, i dont quite know yet what made it special

i'm going back to Annabels soon but both restos are good, just make sure you dont overdo it on the richness ............ like i said, Annabel has a better balance of tanginess and richness but you will enjoy both places.....

Colossal's Honey on Tap

Neil Gaiman has honey bees - and has several pictures of his hives -
i guess he might be interested in these -
still, a tad unfair for the honey bees .....


take a look at "honey on tap"

Pretty Money - Hungarian Euro?

Seen such pretty money

take a look

d'you think it will encourage savings? or expenditures?

Feb 20 - A meeting with batch mates to see Rubi Sevilla

Setting was at Inday's home once again - at their place in New Manila.

I was saddened by the fact that Tony's big eel (who was situated in the dining room) was gone.  I have to admit i missed seeing it although we - when we toured to check out the art pieces and the renovation upstairs - were ooed and aahed by the light display of the other aquarium, controlled by Tony's cell phone.  Tony, just in case you dont remember from the post last year, is Inday's husband and Inday is a Sayans 75 batchmate.  Both Inday and Tony are MDs, Inday is a pediatrician and Tony is a cardiologist.

i must say the art was wonderful, they had art from Paete and of course, from Tony's mom.  So many wonderful pieces.  We met their 2 dogs again who were temporarily caged upstairs (they were set free after our visit). but the renovation was really wonderful.  Inday showed her skills in setting up and doing the actual installation of the screen for their special window (someone remarked it was created for a harana).  The windows had capiz shells in ye olde format

Attendees - and in no particular order, just with the women first - Alice, (Inday and me of course), MDs Mianne and Benita, Peggy of Papemelroti, Nimfa (Janet was in the US), Amihan, IT Joan, and banker Tylette - an honory batch member, and Rubi

and the men - Manny (yes, he and Alice were there early with the batch powerpoint presentation), Jes, our 2 Bobbys - bankers Bobby of BDO, and Roberto Jesus Reyes of Unionbank, MD Jerry, Jiben, Albert, Doy, Charlie (Peggy's husband)

as usual, their were laughs-a-plenty and a siding of serious assertions.
someone asked, who should i follow - the economist or the banker?
Nimfa is an economist and professor at UP, and Bobby of Union Bank was the other discussant ....

i should say, evaluate their advice and follow your gut....

pics to follow

standing:  Tony, Albert, Jes, Jerry, Bobby (BDO), Jiben, Bobby (Unionbank), Doy, Benita, Amihan, me, Nimfa

sitting:  Charlie, Mianne, Rubi, Alice, Pegs, Inday, Tylette, Manny

Becoming an SSS Member

Some new graduates think that paying to the SS as a volunteer member is a good thing to do so that they can get an SSS ID.

No.  One cannot start to be an SSS member by joining as a voluntary member.  If you persist, you will have problems later on when you start to claim your benefits - when you need it - so do not give yourself a headache.....

One can become an SSS member IF AND ONLY IF
             one is hired as an employee  OR
             one is self-employed

self-employed individuals are those who are in business for themselves or those who practice their profession ....

NOTE:  There are exceptions for OFWs

If you are an SSS member and have a child who is or may be incapacitated for life?

If so, please ensure that you provide SSS with the necessary information and proof of your child's "incapacitation" or disability or mental health, whatever is the cause - this means that your child will never be emancipated upon reaching maturity.

Moreover, should you and your spouse pass on, your total pension will be given to the child, who must be under the care of a guardian.

An example would be a person with Down's syndrome -  this is a person with an extra copy of a chromosome.  Most individuals with Down's syndrome only reach the age range of 8-12 years old, and will never have the mind and maturity of an adult.

There are other diseases that can incapacitate a child - for example, if the mother was pregnant when she got ill with say scarlet fever - that will affect the child.

Inform SSS as early as you can so that SSS can already tag the child's record so that she/he will receive a pension for the rest of his or her natural life....

SSS re-posting = Manual Verifications for 1985-1989

You have probably seen this a few times in newspapers - or perhaps heard discussions on the air via radio or television -

Basically, this means that the contributions  for the period January 1985 - December 1989 that may be missing and these missing contributions could substantially affect long term benefits such disability and retirement.  These contributions, however, will NOT affect short-term benefits such as sickness, maternity, and salary loans.

Although SSS will accept requests for manual verification, these will not be processed until after December 2015, which is the target end date of the project.

However if you know and therefore believe in Murphy's Laws, then add another 6 months to that, so that would be after the elections of 2016 - another administration.

However, pensioners should not worry about the adjustment, if any, this will be given to them - but it is to be hoped that it will not be posthumously - so take care all of you pensioners