Innovations in extending social insurance coverage to independent workers
47
Rural Organizations, the Ecuadorian Native Federation, and the National Federation of Free Ecuadorian Farmers, among others.
These organizations have fought for ideals connected with the SSC, which has included the extension and strengthening of its rights, the need to constitutionalize the
scheme, and actions against its privatization, among others. Furthermore, they have taken defensive stand, and tackled many other issues which affect the rural population, such as
public sector privatization, land reform, and many other issues vitally important for the sectors development.
In spite of these highlighted achievement, the SSC is affected by a series of factors which indicate that some challenges remain. For instance, registration drives in recent
years have not achieved the desired dynamism, and a great number of people living in rural areas remain uninsured. Specifically, registration in the SSC has been losing significance
when compared to the growth of the rural population. Diagnosis reports have indicated that there are problems in the information processing and registration systems, as well as in the
inspection of registrants and their respective contributions, among others.
The SSC remains a social security bastion in Ecuador. In the year 2009, it accounted for 917,417 protected people, 227,694 families, and a total of 34,729 retirees. On the
international stage of initiatives aiming to universalize social security, it is a worthy example to be followed by nations concerned with extending social protection to the most
vulnerable groups.
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Philipinas: The use of information technologies in extending coverage
9. Philippines: The use of information
technologies in extending coverage
9.1. Introduction
The Philippines has been developing considerable efforts towards extending social insurance coverage, with significant progress, as evidenced by the achieved coverage rates,
including those regarding independent workers. The configuration of the Philippines social protection system includes the classic
components of the social security systems, as well as other non-contributory programmes. Table 11 shows a summary of the system and of the institutions involved in
the system.
Table 12. Philippines: Description of the social protection system
Type of scheme Description
Institutions Non-contributory
scheme social assistance
Universal or focused programmes financed by taxes.
Ministry of Social Welfare and Development; Ministry of Health; Ministry of Labour and Employment.
Mandatory contributory scheme
1. Established benefit schemes BD. Managed by public sector institutions.
2. Established contribution schemes CD. Individual account schemes, with mandatory
savings, addressed to some groups of workers.
1. Government Service Insurance System GSIS; Social Security System SSS, AFP-RSBS military.
Philippine Health Insurance Corporation PHIC. 2. HDMF Pag-IBIG and AFP-RSBS as mandatory
savings schemes; GSIS and OWWA as life insurance. 1
Voluntary contributory scheme
Private pension plans, managed by large companies, beyond the GSIS Mutual Fund.
Notes: 1 El HDMF is a savings and housing body. It relies on several loan programmes for its members. Source: Drawn up on the basis of Orbeta and Manasan 2012.
The Government Service Insurance System GSIS and the Social Security System SSS are the main institutions managing social security. The former manages the
protection of civil servants, and the latter manages the protection of private sector workers. Social insurance registration is mandatory.
Both institutions offer protection against a variety of contingencies, with the exception of health, since in 1997 that responsibility was transferred to the Philippine
Health Insurance Corporation PHIC. This section summarises the efforts developed by the SSS to extend social security
coverage to independent workers. Firstly, we present some general information, and subsequently we highlight some of the characteristics and innovations which allowed to
encourage the registration of independent workers in social insurance.
9.2. Independent workers in the Philippines
According to the information published by the Department of Labour and Employment DOLE for 2011, the working economically active population in the
