Sunday, August 27, 2017

New job and sorting out my SSS records

One of the biggest changes in my life over the last decade just happened this August: I moved to a new company. It was such a huge change for me because I had been working in my previous company for more than a decade. Now, I continue working in the same field but in a different industry and my current role is pretty different from what I used to do. I am quite excited about this change and I am looking forward to growing a lot more as a professional.

That said, it also involved a lot - and I do mean a LOT - of paperwork. I realized that there was a ton of stuff I needed to do to sort out my SSS, Pag-IBIG, and Philhealth accounts. I also needed to get NBI Clearance. It was a whole lot of work but I am happy that I got everything sorted out.

SSS
https://www.sss.gov.ph/

First, I didn't have my SSS Unified Multi-Purpose ID (UMID). I supposedly had an SSS ID given to me a very long time ago, but either I lost it or it was marked as having been given to me even if it wasn't. Still, that SSS ID wouldn't be valid anymore since it should already have been replaced by the UMID. I did a bit of research and saw that I needed to have the following:

  1. SSS Form E-6, or a UMID Card Application Form
  2. Three copies of SSS Form R-6, or Miscellaneous Payment Form. UMID Card replacement costs P300.
  3. Affidavit of Loss

I downloaded Forms E-6 and R-6 online and filled them out. I also prepared an affidavit of loss for my UMID card. I then went to the corner of Makati Avenue and Jupiter to have my UMID cards notarized. I think it costs P100 to notarize a document in the small stall there. (You can easily spot it because there are signs that say "NOTARY" and "XEROX".

At the SSS Office along Buendia (Sen. Gil Puyat Avenue), I was instructed go to Counter 9 to process my UMID Card replacement request. Upon arriving at counter 9, I was told that my SSS ID was only temporary and not permanent and that this was most likely because my records were not fully updated when SSS upgraded their systems and processes. As such, I first had to go to Counter 12 to request my SSS account to be updated. For that, I needed to give give them the following:

  1. Two copies of SSS Form E-4, or Member Data Change Request, to update member record status from temporary to permanent.
  2. A copy of my Birth Certificate (thankfully I had it with me)

The problem was that the system was down when I was there. Also, the payment counter was already closed (it was past 4pm when I arrived). As such, I had to go back the next working day. Thankfully, the system was up when I returned. I first went to Counter 12 to have my member record status updated. Then I fell in line at the cashier to pay the UMID replacement cost. I then fell in line again at Counter 9 to submit my requirements. It was around 12:15pm when I was served and by then I was told I had to go to the third floor for UMID photo taking. Unfortunately, the talking of ID photos was closed between 12pm and 1pm so I had to return after lunch break. After getting my photo taken, I was told that my UMID would be delivered to my place of residence within 3 to 6 months. So I'm not quite done but at least I am done with all the requirements and now it's just a matter of waiting for my ID to arrive.

I will write about how how I sorted out my Pag-IBIG, Philhealth, and NBI Clearance in my next post.

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