Foreign investors seeking entry into the Philippines could soon use the Social Security System (SSS) as anchor to expand locally, a move that may accelerate capital deployment alongside the nation’s sovereign wealth fund.

SSS President and Chief Executive Officer (CEO) Robert Joseph M. De Claro told reporters last Tuesday that the state-run pension provider is positioning itself as a stable domestic partner for international entities while simultaneously preparing to move capital into overseas assets.

De Claro said the fund is engaging with the Maharlika Investment Corp. (MIC), manager of the country’s sovereign wealth fund, to coordinate efforts in attracting foreign capital.

According to De Claro, SSS is engaging with MIC to support the three-year-old government company. “For us to be a great nation, we need a sovereign wealth fund,” the CEO said.

Maharlika, as reported earlier, generally positions itself as an investment aggregator and deployer for foreign entities looking to channel funds into the domestic market.

“We work hand-in-hand with Maharlika,” De Claro said. “For example, for overseas investors, SSS is a very stable partner. When someone enters here, I think SSS is known as a stable partner.”

This, De Claro said, explains the zoomed-out peek into the SSS investment scheme when he said the state pension fund is looking at expanding its portfolio into overseas assets amid an “unexciting” local market.

“So part of the bigger strategy is that we invest overseas with the idea that we can also attract investors to inject funds into the Philippines. They can partner with SSS if they don’t have an anchor,” De Claro said.

According to the CEO, this reciprocal flow of funds is “the general model,” which SSS is pursuing in a “controlled” manner.

SSS is eyeing to invest 7.5 percent of its ₱1.3 trillion reserve fund overseas over the next five years as it seeks to diversify beyond the “unexciting” domestic market. A policy that would enable this offshore investment move remains in draft form.

De Claro is crossing his fingers on the potential emergence of investment opportunities that would tap a chunk of the reserve fund. The law allows SSS to invest 7.5 percent of its investment reserve fund (IRF) in foreign currency-denominated assets.

Meanwhile, despite its mandate to generate long-term investment returns while supporting Philippine socioeconomic development, Maharlika is still awaiting formal deals with SSS.

MIC President and CEO Rafael D. Consing Jr. told Manila Bulletin on Wednesday, Aug. 12, that the fund has its doors open for SSS while waiting for a formal call between the two state-run firms.

“We keep an open line with SSS. Both our institutions know each other’s mandates, and when an investment opportunity fits both, we reach out,” Consing said. He, however, refused to speculate on the structure and beneficiary sector of the potential tie-ups.

MIC has set its sights on ₱3.3 billion in core net income this year as it ramps up capital deployment to about ₱35 billion by year-end, after earning ₱1.3 billion in the first half of 2026.

SSS’ net income fell 28 percent to ₱48 billion in the first half, weighed down by higher benefit payouts to pensioners. De Claro said earning ₱100 billion this year would be enough to preserve the life of the reserve fund despite rising benefit payouts.