The City Council, during last Monday’s regular session, approved on third and final reading repealing Ordinance No. 23, series of 2021 which required the presentation of Social Security system (SSS) clearance certificate prior to the issuance of mayor’s permit or business license to employers or business establishments and agencies and further requiring the display of the SSS certificate of registration in the business establishments and offices.
Under the proposed ordinance authored by Councilors Peter C. Fianza, Jose M. Molintas and Fred L. Bagbagen, it stated that the presentation of SSS clearance certificate prior to the issuance of mayor’s permit or business license or permit to employers or business establishments and agencies and further requiring the display of SSS certificate of registration in the business establishments and offices has no binding effect for being no longer necessary.
The council claimed that the City Permits and Licensing Division of the City Mayor’s Office will confirm that with the above, the practice now is that the SSS, after being furnished a list of establishments or businesses issued with business permits, tags the local government with the names of establishments or businesses whose applications for renewal may not be acted, thus, the presentation of the SSS clearance directed is no longer necessary.
On October 10, 2022, the Committee on Laws, Human Rights and Justice reported that the requirement for the presentation of a SSS clearance as required under Section 24 paragraph g of Republic Act (RA) 11199 otherwise known as the Social Security Act of 2018 may no longer be necessary because of Joint memorandum Circular No. 01, series of 2014 provided the new procedures for securing clearances from the SSS and the Philippine Health Insurance corporation and for renewing business permits, DILG-DTI-DICT Joint Memorandum circular No. 01, series of 2016 which revised the standards in the processing business permits and licenses in all cities and municipalities, the aforesaid ordinance did not provide exemptions to employers or business owners who, despite the mandatory age of retirement at 65 years of age have continued in their businesses are exempt from the presentation of the SSS clearance in obtaining business permits, the display of the SSS clearance as directed by the ordinance will simply show compliance and as observed from the earlier report, will be most important to a job applicant and the required presentation of the clearance prior to the issuance of a mayor’s permit or business permit or license does not also conform to the intention of RA 11032 otherwise known as the Ease of Doing business Act.