Manila, Aug. 13 -- President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr. has expanded access to social protection programs for contract of service (COS) and job order (JO) workers in the government through an administrative order allowing the voluntary deduction and remittance of their contributions to key government social insurance and savings programs.

In a statement Thursday, the Presidential Communications Office (PCO) said Marcos, through Administrative Order (AO) No. 43, directed government agencies to facilitate the voluntary deduction of prescribed contributions to the Social Security System (SSS), Philippine Health Insurance Corp. (PhilHealth), and Pag-IBIG Fund from the compensation of covered COS and JO workers.

"All covered government agencie...