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December 01, 2000

Considering Article 16 of the Understanding on Social Security between the Government of the Republic of the Philippines and the Gouvemement du Québec,

Desirous to give application to this Understanding, Have agreed as follows :

ARTICLE 1
DEFINITIONS

In this Administrative Arrangement,

(a) the term "Understanding" shall mean the Understanding on Social Security between the Government of the Republic of the Philippines and the Gouvemement du Québec signed on October 22nd , 1996, as modified by the Amendment to the Understanding, signed on April 14, 2000;

(b) all other terms shall have the meaning given to them in Article 1 of the Understanding.

ARTICLE 2
LIAISON AGENCIES

In accordance with the provisions of paragraph 2 of Article 16 of the Understanding, the liaison agencies designated by each of the Parties shall be :

(a) as regards Québec, the Direction des ententes de securite sociale of the Ministere des Relations avec les citoyens et de I'Immigration or any other agency that the competent authority of Québec may subsequently designate;

(b) as regards the Republic of the Philippines,

(i) for the Social Security System,

International Affairs & Branch Expansion
3rd Floor, SSS Bldg., East Avenue
Diliman, Quezon City, Philippines 1100

(ii) for the Government Service Insurance System,

Social Insurance Group
7th Floor, GSIS Headquarters
Financial Center, Pasay City
Philippines 1308

or any other agency that the competent authority of the Republic of the Philippines may subsequently designate.

ARTICLE 3
CERTIFICATE OF COVERAGE

1. For the application of Articles 7 to 11 of the Understanding, when a person remains subject to the legislation of one Party while working in the territory of the other Party, a certificate of coverage shall be issued

(a) by the liaison agency of Québec, when the person remains subject to the legislation of Québec;

(b) by the liaison agency of the Republic of the Philippines, when the person remains subject to the legislation of the Republic of the Philippines.

2. The liaison agency issuing the certificate of coverage shall send a copy of that certificate to the other liaison agency mentioned in paragraph 1, to the person concerned and, if applicable, to the employer of that person.

ARTICLE 4
PROCESSING OF CLAIMS

1. For the application of Part III of the Understanding, a claim for a benefit by virtue of the Understanding may be presented to the liaison agency of either Party, or to the competent institution of the Party whose legislation applies.

2. When a claim for benefit mentioned in paragraph 1 is presented to a liaison agency, that agency shall send that claim to the competent institution of the Party whose legislation is applicable, along with the required supporting documents.

3. When the claim for a benefit referred to in paragraph 2 of Article 17 of the Understanding is presented to the competent institution of one Party, that institution shall send that claim to the liaison agency of the same Party. The liaison agency shall send that claim to the competent institution of the other Party, along with the required supporting documents.

4. Any required personal information regarding an individual, mutually determined by the liaison agencies and indicated on the liaison form, shall be certified by the liaison agency transmitting the claim, which shall then be exempt from transmission of the supporting documents.

5. In addition to the claim and documentation referred to in paragraphs 1 and 3, the liaison agency of the First Party shall send to the liaison agency of the other Party a liaison form that will indicate, in particular, the periods of insurance under the legislation of the first Party. In the application of this paragraph, the liaison agency of the Philippines shall indicate, where applicable, periods of insurance under the Social Security System and the Government Service Insurance System.

6. For the application of this Article, the liaison agency of Quebec shall send a claim for benefits under the legislation of the Philippines to :

(a) the International Affairs & Branch Expansion Division, Social Security System,

(i) if the claimant indicates that he or she has completed periods of insurance in the Philippines exclusively under the Social Security System, or under both the Social Security System and the Government Service Insurance System, or

(ii) if the claimant does not indicate under which scheme in the Philippines he or she has completed periods of insurance. As the case may require, the International Affairs & Branch Expansion Division shall consult with and forward it to the Social Insurance Group, Government Service Insurance System;

(b) the Social Insurance Group, Government Service Insurance System, if the claimant indicates that he or she has completed periods of insurance in the Philippines exclusively under the Government Service Insurance System.

7. If so requested by the competent institution or by the liaison agency of one Party, the liaison agency or the competent institution of the other Party shall indicate, on the liaison form, the periods of insurance recognized under the legislation which it applies.

8. As soon as decisions with respect to claims have been taken pursuant to the legislation which it applies, the competent institution shall notify the claimants and inform them about the ways of recourse and time limits for such recourse prescribed by that legislation; the competent institution shall also inform, by means of the liaison form, the liaison agency of the other Party about the decisions.

ARTICLE 5
REIMBURSEMENT BETWEEN INSTITUTIONS

For the application of Article 24 of the Understanding, at the end of each calendar year, when the competent institution of a Party has produced medical reports, on behalf or at the expense of the competent institution of the other Party, the liaison agency of the first Party shall send to the liaison agency of the other Party a statement listing the fees pertaining to the medical reports produced during the year under consideration, indicating the amount owed. That statement shall be accompanied by supporting documents.

ARTICLE 6
FORMS

Any forms or other documents necessary to implement the procedures prescribed by the Administrative Arrangement shall be determined by common agreement by the competent institutions and the agencies responsible for the application of the Understanding for each of the Parties.

ARTICLE 7
STATISTICS

The liaison agencies of both Parties may exchange, in the form agreed upon, statistical data concerning the payments made to beneficiaries during each calendar year under the Understanding. Such data shall include the number of beneficiaries and the total amount of benefits, by benefit category.

ARTICLE 8
COMING INTO FORCE AND DENUNCIATION

The Administrative Arrangement for the Implementation of the Understanding on Social Security between the Republic of the Philippines and Quebec, signed at Quebec City on October 22n 1996, is terminated and is substituted for this Administrative Arrangement.

The denunciation of the Understanding carries the denunciation of the Administrative Arrangement.

Done on 1 December 2000 in duplicate, in the English and French languages, both texts being equally authentic.