Position Paper (ESEN)

“Lowering the Retirement Age of Teachers from 60 to 56”
The retirement age is the age at which a person is expected or required to cease work and
is usually the age at which they may be entitled to receive superannuation or other government
benefits, like a state pension. Policy makers usually consider the demography, fiscal cost of
ageing, health, life expectancy, nature of profession, supply of labor force etc. while deciding the
retirement age.
Lowering the retirement age of the teachers had been demanded for several years now.
But, a bill has been recently filed urging the retirement age to be lowered to 56. The lawmakers
explained that those aged 56 already experience age-related ailments and other physical
limitations, and that the changes in lifestyle make them more vulnerable today. Legislation to
lower the optional retirement age of government workers from 60 to 56 in the Philippines has
been voted through, with overwhelming support from the House of Representatives for
amendments to section 13-A of the Republic Act 8291 – also known as the Government Service
Insurance Act of 1997.
There is no doubt that the world population is aging. According to the United Nations’
landmark study “World Population Prospects: the 2017 Revision,” the number of older persons
those aged 60 years or over is expected to more than double by 2050 and to more than triple by
2100, rising from 962 million globally in 2017 to 2.1 billion in 2050. In the Philippines, the
Commission on Population said the number of elderly Filipinos or those over 60 years old is
projected to increase by 0.23 percent over 2017, and will most likely comprise over 8 million
Filipino senior citizens by the end of the year. This will constitute 8.2 percent of the country’s
total population. Of this figure, 5 million will be aged 65 and older, or 4.7 percent of the
country’s population. But does it mean we should retire at 56?
The House Committee on Government Enterprises and Privatization has endorsed for
plenary approval a measure lowering the optional retirement age of government employees to 56
from 60. The consolidated bill, seeks to amend Section 13-A of Republic Act 8291 or the
Government Service Insurance System Act of 1997.
However, if passed into law, the bill will allow Filipino government employees who
reached the age of 56 to file for retirement, and be eligible for a life pension from the
Government Service Insurance System (GSIS). According to one of the authors of the bill said,
with lower optional retirement age, the retirees can enjoy a better quality of life through their
pension and retirement benefits at an earlier age, as a bill is already being introduced to lower
age to qualify as a senior citizen.
The lower retirement age ultimately helps the administration as it moves the turnover of
government positions to younger professionals, making way for the fusion of fresh blood in
public service. Countless cases involving public officers emphasize the need for a younger
workforce in government to inject new perspectives and insight into the ranks. Addition to that,
the substitute bill provides that a member who retires from the service shall be entitled to the
retirement benefits provided that he or she has rendered at least 15 years of service; at least 56
years of age at the time of retirement; and not receiving a monthly pension benefit from
permanent total disability. This bodes well for the families of the retirees as well, as the retirees
have more time to spend with their loved ones in relative comfort. The retirees and their families
will enjoy the fruits of decades’ worth of labor and will lessen the burden on the family’s
spending.
ACT Teachers Party-list Rep. France Castro, principal author of the bill, said that the
retirement is one of the demands voiced during consultations with public-school teachers. He
noted that teachers in the Philippines retire four years later than those in most countries, noting
that retirement age is 60 in most North American, European and Asian countries. He also added,
respect and humane consideration demand that a person of 56 years a few years shy of being a
senior citizen should not be required to perform the heavy functions expected of a public-school
teacher in the Philippines. At such stage of their lives, public- school teachers should at least be
given the choice if they wish to rest from the profession and enjoy better and healthy years
ahead.
Reference:
https://opinion.inquirer.net/118696/retire-at-56#ixzz67moJoeTx
@inquirerdotnet on Twitter | inquirerdotnet on Facebook
https://news.mb.com.ph/2018/11/15/house-approves-bill-lowering-govt-optional-retirement-age-
to-56/
https://businessmirror.com.ph/2019/12/05/bill-lowering-retirement-age-in-government-to-56-
gets-house-2nd-reading-okay/
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Retirement_age
https://www.globalgovernmentforum.com/philippines-to-let-officials-retire-at-56/

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“Lowering the Retirement Age of Teachers from 60 to 56”

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