MANILA – The Social Security System (SSS) should fund a proposed P2,000 pension hike on its own, without help from the National Treasury, Budget Secretary Benjamin Diokno said Tuesday.

A government-funded pension increase would unnecessarily burden taxpayers, Diokno told DZMM.

President Rodrigo Duterte is set to decide on a proposal to increase pension in two tranches, including P1,000 this month. His economic managers have expressed concern that it could shorten the life of the fund.

• READ: SSS pension hike needs contribution increase

“We should limit yung benefit dun sa kontribusyon (We should limit the benefits according to contributions). We have to make sure that the fund is self-sustaining,” Diokno said.

Diokno said the SSS could collect debt payments to help fund the pension increase.

“Kung walang impact sa national budget, ang nagbabayad naman diyan tayong lahat, to me wala namana akong problema doon,” he said.

(If there is no impact on the national budget, which is funded by everyone, I have no problem with that.)