SSS and DICT deal encourages the Philippines' 1.5 million freelancers and virtual assistants to join SSS, as commenters call it a trap

Virtual assistants and freelancers are being encouraged to register as self-employed SSS members, with monthly contributions from P760 to P5,280, while some Facebook commenters called the move a trap aimed at taxing them.

Virtual assistants and freelancers in the Philippines will be encouraged to register as self-employed members of the Social Security System (SSS) under a memorandum of understanding the SSS signed with the Department of Information and Communications Technology (DICT) on 21 October 2026, GMA News and ABS-CBN News reported on 30 October.

The SSS estimates there are about 1.5 million virtual assistants and freelancers in the country. ABS-CBN News reported that the virtual assistant role does not fall into any existing government category, which means legal protections for them are effectively non-existent.

SSS president and chief executive officer Victor Alfonso Limlingan and DICT Secretary Robert Joseph de Claro signed the agreement. Limlingan said a key objective is to increase awareness, registration, membership and compliance with Republic Act No. 11199, the Social Security Act of 2018, among freelancers and online workers. The two agencies will also explore joint work on freelancer education, job creation and matching, and monitoring of program outcomes.

What self-employed members get and pay

Members who register as self-employed are eligible for sickness, maternity, disability, retirement, funeral and death benefits. They may also apply for SSS loan programs, including salary loans, the Emergency Loan Program and the SSS Micro Loan Program, and get added coverage under the Employees' Compensation (EC) Program for work-related sickness, disability or death.

The SSS contribution rate is 15 percent, and for self-employed members the monthly salary credit used to work out contributions ranges from P5,000 to P35,000. The lowest monthly contribution is P760, made up of P750 for the regular SSS contribution and P10 for EC. The highest is P5,280, made up of P3,000 for the regular SSS contribution, P30 for EC and P2,250 for the Mandatory Provident Fund, a retirement savings plan for members whose monthly salary credit exceeds P20,000.

Limlingan said in the SSS statement:

"Freelancers and virtual assistants are an important and growing segment of our workforce. By bringing them into the SSS coverage, we ensure that they, too, can access the same protection and benefits enjoyed by other workers."

Survey finds 7 in 10 remote workers get no benefits beyond salary

A study by virtual assistant outsourcing firm Remotify, cited by ABS-CBN News, found 7 in 10 Filipino remote workers receive no employment benefits beyond their salaries. More than half reported inconsistent income, 45 percent said they do not file taxes, partly because their income is unstable, and nearly 40 percent said they struggle to prove their income when applying for credit cards, housing loans or government benefits. The same survey found 77 percent want a formal employment record while continuing to work remotely.

Commenters call it a trap

On the ABS-CBN News Facebook post about the deal, which drew 10.4K reactions and 1.6K comments, several commenters read the scheme as a trap aimed at their income. "It's a Trap. That's just the style. Let them be blind to our income," wrote Mer Son Galicia. Others tied it to tax. Michael Legaspi wrote that freelancers would then be taxed, and Jonas Paul Dela Cruz wrote: "Pretending to be concerned just to get tax." Marivel Bongbong Quijano said the aim was to find out who the freelancers are.

Subscribe to newsletter