President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr. has appointed a new officer-in-charge (OIC) for the Social Security System (SSS) for the second time in less than a month.
Effective Oct. 17, SSS Executive Vice President for the Branch Operations Sector, Atty. Voltaire P. Agas, will assume the role of OIC for the state-run pension fund.
His appointment aims to "ensure the continuous and effective delivery of public service to its members, pensioners, and their beneficiaries."
Agas replaces Commissioner Robert Joseph M. De Claro, who took over on Oct. 11 following the resignation of Rolando Ledesma Macasaet earlier that month.
This change brings the total to two officer replacements within the month of October alone.
Agas began his SSS career as Chief Legal Counsel in 2012 and has overseen nationwide branch operations since March 2022, focusing on membership growth, contributions, and benefits.
According to SSS, "He is a seasoned public servant with more than three decades of government service in various capacities."
His extensive experience includes roles at the Public Attorney’s Office (PAO) and the National Prosecution Service under the Department of Justice (DOJ), as well as serving as a trial judge in Quezon City. Notably, he is the first career official to rise from within the organization to be appointed as its OIC.
After earning his law degree from San Beda University, Agas worked as a PAO lawyer from 1989 to 1994 and was recently recognized as PAO’s Outstanding Public Servant at the 8th MCLE-Accredited National Convention of Public Attorneys.
Agas also holds a degree from the University of the Philippines, where he worked as a socio-economist on community development projects funded by the Asian Development Bank and the World Bank. He brings over a decade of experience as a corporate legal manager and chief compliance officer with the Ayala Life Insurance Group, now known as BPI AIA.
Meanwhile, the SSS clarified that former OIC De Claro will continue to serve as a member of the SSS Commission, representing the Employers’ Group.