THE Social Security System (SSS) said its outgoing president and CEO, Robert Joseph de Claro, would leave behind a legacy of financial resilience that ensures the delivery of benefits to pensioners.
As of June 2026, the SSS said its total assets rose to P1.35 trillion, reflecting a 7.6-percent increase — equivalent to P94.9 billion — from P1.25 trillion in December 2025.
The growth, it added, underscores a solid financial foundation and capacity to meet long-term benefit obligations.
De Claro, who was appointed by President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. as secretary of the Department of Information and Communications Technology replacing Henry Rhoel Aguda, steered the SSS past the P1-trillion milestone in its Investment Reserve Fund (IRF).
During the first half of 2026, the firm’s IRF stood at P1.31 trillion, 6.6 percent higher than the P1.23 trillion at the close of 2025.
SSS said benefit disbursements have also expanded considerably. From January to June 2026, it released P173.45 billion in benefits — a 19.0-percent increase from the P145.73 billion in the same period in 2025.
The increase, it added, reflects heightened claims activity, driven in part by a growing number of retirees and beneficiaries accessing pensions and other social security benefits.
Contribution collections, meanwhile, demonstrated steady improvement. Member contributions reached P200.32 billion in the first half of 2026, up by 6.9 percent from P187.44 billion in the corresponding period in 2025.
The growth was propelled by stronger compliance, expanded coverage and an ever-growing base of contributing members and employers, the SSS said.
The firm said it anticipates surpassing P100 billion in net income by the end of 2026, and its total assets to reach P1.5 trillion by December 2026.
SSS said that throughout his tenure, de Claro managed investments with disciplined asset allocation and regular portfolio reviews.
He ensured that investment decisions remained consistent with Republic Act 11199, or the Social Security Act of 2018, as well as the SSS’ internal governance policies, it added. A
