SEDPI at Opisina ni Senator Risa Hontiveros Nag-abot ng Tulong sa mga Nasalanta ng Bagyong Vicky

“Sagol nerbyos hadlok lagi kay basi manganaod kay paspas kaayo ang pag taas sa tubig og sulod kaayo.” 

“Magkahalong nerbyos at takot dahil baka maanod kasi mabilis ang pagtaas ng tubig at pumapasok talaga.”

Ito ang naramdaman ni Roxanne Amigo habang rumaragasa ang baha na dala ng bagyong Vicky.

Kasama sa binaha at na-landslide ang mga residente ng Agusan del Sur at Surigao del Sur, kung saan mayroong microfinance operations ang SEDPI Development Finance, Inc.

Mula sa 10,000 SEDPI members, 1,884 ang apektado sa mga bayan ng Trento, Santa Josefa, Barobo, at Rosario sa Agusan del Sur at Lingig at Bislig sa Surigao del Sur. Dalawa ang inanod ng baha ang bahay. Isa naman ang na-landslide. 

Agad nakapagbigay ng relief goods noong December 2020 ang SEDPI at ang Office ni Senator Risa Hontiveros sa nasalanta ng bagyong Vicky.

Hindi man madalas na mabagyo ang Mindanao, naging handa ang SEDPI sa pagtulong sa mga members dahil sa Social Welfare Protection Program (SWEPP) nito. 

SWEPP ay ang hybrid microinsurance program ng SEDPI na pinagsasama ang “damayan” o pagtutulungan ng kapwa; formal life insurance mula sa CLIMBS Life and General Insurance Cooperative; at social safety nets mula sa gobyerno na binibigay ng SSS at Pag-IBIG Fund. 

Maliban sa regular contributions sa SSS at Pag-IBIG, nagcocontribute ang mga members ng PhP360 every six months para ma-cover ng SWEPP. 

Ang bahagi ng kontribusyon ay linalaan para sa “damayan”. Ginagamit ang naiambag ng mga members para tulungan ang kamember nila sa panahon ng kamatayan, pagkakasakit, sunog, o kalamidad. 

Ito ang naging pondo para makabigay ng relief goods sa mga nabaha at dagdag na PhP5,000 sa tatlong na-wipe out ang bahay.

Bawat pack ng relief goods ay naglaman ng limang kilong bigas at ilang groceries na good for one week para sa pamilya na may limang miyembro.

“Naibsan ang pag-aalala ko dahil may makakain na kami kahit papano. Dumating ang aming pinapanalangin,” masayang nasabi ni Roxanne. 

Naging malaking tulong ang donasyon na 134 sakong bigas na galing sa Liwanag at Lingap Program ng opisina ni Senator Risa Hontiveros. 

Ang programang ito ay nagsimula noong bagyong Rolly bilang isang typhoon relief effort. Sinundan pa ito ng tulong sa mga apektado ng mga bagyong Ulysses at Vicky. 

Mensahe ni Senator Risa Hontiveros, “Tuloy-tuloy ang pagpapadala natin ng Liwanag at Lingap sa mga kababayan nating naapektuhan ng kalamidad at nawalan ng kabuhayan. Umaasa akong sa munting paraan ay makatulong ang relief operations na ito para matugunan ang immediate needs gaya ng pagkain.” 

Naging maganda ang pagtutulungan ng komunidad, SEDPI at ng opisina ni Senator Risa Hontiveros. Sa unang linggo matapos ang bagyo at baha ay nakatuon ang mga nasalanta sa pag-aayos sa kanilang mga bahay at gamit at hindi sa paghahanap ng kanilang makakain. 

Ani ng Vince Rapisura, Presidente ng SEDPI, “Systemic and institutionalized safety nets talaga ang kailangan natin. Kailangan po talaga ay hindi lang yung sarili natin yung nag-eeffort pero nandyan ang private sector, nandyan ang public sector, nandyan ang community.” 

 

 

 

 

 

 

SEDPI’s Social Welfare Protection Program

SEDPI offers the Social Welfare Protection Program (SWePP), where members can avail microinsurance coverage for their families in the Philippines or themselves. SWePP is a consolidated microinsurance and social safety net program and provides security and protection to low-income SEDPI members.

As a hybrid form of insurance, it adopts formal, informal, and government social insurance programs. It partners with a formal insurance provider, has a damayan portion, and also partners with government agencies – Social Security System (SSS) and Home Development Mutual Fund’s Pag-IBIG or Pag-IBIG.

SEDPI serves to make government services more available to poorer communities. Low income households, which make less that PhP240,000 a year; microenterprises such as farmers and fisherfolks, and OFW family members are recommended to get SWePP.

SWePP provides (1) CLIMBS Life Insurance, (2) access to SSS and Pag-IBIG, and (3) Damayan for fire and calamity assistance. SEDPI is in talks with PhilHealth to include health insurance in the future.

SWePP benefits include up to PhP80,000 life and accident insurance from CLIMBS; and PhP5,000 for fire protection and PhP500 worth of relief goods from the damayan component. These benefits are offered for an annual membership fee of PhP720.

SEDPI is an accredited collection agent of SSS, meaning that payments can be remitted through SEDPI to be paid to the SSS. Becoming a member of the SSS and making one contribution entitles members to a PhP20,000 death benefit. The minimum contribution is PhP360.

For a one time payment or contribution, SSS provides lifetime benefit of funeral protection. With three contributions per year, members are eligible for sickness and maternity benefits.

If a member makes 36 payments before the age of 65, they are given lifetime coverage for disabilities as well as additional death benefits. If a member makes 36 payments, then up to the age of 60, they can also enjoy unemployment benefits.

Making 36 to 119 contributions will gain the benefit of a lump sum pension. Making at least 120 contributions will give the benefit of monthly pensions. Vince Rapisura, SEDPI Group President, recommends that members aim to make approximately 500 contributions to their SSS. More contributions equal higher pensions.

SEDPI’s is also an accredited collection agent of Pag-IBIG. When one becomes a member of Pag-IBIG, one contribution every six months provides a PhP6,000 death benefit.

Pag-IBIG is a complement to retirement funds of Filipinos because of its high dividends. As the national savings program of the government, members are eligible to receive their total accumulated value, which is equivalent to personal contributions, employer contributions, and your dividends. The returns are promising, and they compound.

Pag-IBIG also grants access to socialized housing loans at a 3% per annum interest rate, up to a maximum of PhP580,000. OFWs are charged market rate, but this amount typically hovers around 5% – 7% per annum. Up to PhP6 million can be loaned.

For its microfinance operations in Mindanao, SEDPI is planning socialized housing projects for its members in partnership with Pag-IBIG. It has already acquired 7.1 hectares of land and is in the process of acquiring 4 hectares more in the provinces of Agusan del Sur and Surigao del Sur. Construction and development are planned for 2021.