SSS Opens Japan Office in Tokyo
Philippine Ambassador to Japan Mylene J. Garcia-Albano (2nd from left), SSS Commissioner Jesus P. Sale (2nd from right), Consul General Mary Joy Ramirez (rightmost), and Atty. Paul Erik Manalo (leftmost), leading the ribbon-cutting ceremony marking the opening of the SSS-Japan Office on 28 November 2025.
TOKYO, 04 December 2025 – The Social Security System (SSS) formally opened its Japan Office at the Philippine Embassy in Tokyo on 28 November 2025, expanding the range of services available to Filipinos residing in Japan.
The ribbon-cutting ceremony was officiated by Philippine Ambassador to Japan Mylene J. Garcia-Albano, SSS Commissioner Jesus P. Sale, Jr., and SSS International Operations Group Head Atty. Paul Erik D. Manalo.
“For many years, SSS teams had flown in from abroad to deliver services to our kababayans in Japan. Today, we mark a new chapter — with a dedicated office that brings these services closer and more consistently to our community,” Ambassador Garcia-Albano remarked in her opening message.
Ambassador Garcia-Albano delivering her opening message at the SSS-Japan Office ribbon-cutting ceremony.
The SSS-Japan Office held its soft opening on 27 October 2025 following the arrival of SSS Foreign Representative Kathryn Quinn Eusuya. The SSS-Japan Office is the 21st SSS Foreign Office and the 5th to be established in the Asia-Pacific region.
“We are undertaking all these efforts to bring us closer to our vision of universal social security coverage for Filipinos both at home and abroad. The establishment of the SSS-Japan Office plays a crucial role in realizing this vision by serving as a direct link to thousands of Filipinos in Japan, ensuring that they have convenient access to social security services and benefits wherever they may be,” SSS President and CEO Robert Joseph Montes de Claro said in his prepared message delivered by Commissioner Sale.
SSS Commissioner Sale delivering the message of SSS President and CEO Robert Joseph Montes de Claro at the SSS-Japan Office ribbon-cutting ceremony.
The establishment of the SSS-Japan Office further strengthens the implementation of the Philippines-Japan Social Security Agreement that entered into force in 2018, enabling the totalization of insurance coverage and the portability of benefits for Filipinos working in Japan.
Before the formal opening of the SSS-Japan Office, the SSS delegation paid a courtesy call on Ambassador Garcia-Albano to report on SSS’s productive engagement with the Japan Pension Service, and ongoing initiatives and priorities in extending social security services and benefits to overseas Filipinos.
The SSS-Japan Office participated in the government services caravan at the Philippine Festival Tokyo 2025 on 29-30 November 2025, during which it responded to inquiries and requests for reactivation of social security numbers, updating of membership records, and information on benefits and loan privileges.
Ambassador Garcia-Albano (3rd from left) with the SSS delegation led by Commissioner Sale (2nd from right) following the latter’s courtesy call.
Filipinos in Japan are encouraged to visit the SSS-Japan Office at the Embassy’s Consular Section by scheduling an appointment through the Embassy’s webpage. Clients may avail the following social security services, among others:
• Membership registration and updating of records
• Contribution payment inquiries
• Loan application assistance and status verification
• Guidance on benefit claims
• Acceptance of Compliance to Annual Confirmation of Pensioners (ACOP) Program
