LRay to Senate: Pass lower retirement age for gov’t workers
WITH President Ferdinand “Bongbong” R. Marcos Jr.’s (PBBM) enactment of a measure fixing the retirement age in the Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) at 57, Camarines Sur Representative LRay Villafuerte has said it’s time for the 19th Congress to pass a pending complementary measure letting government employees retire when they reach 56.
This complementing measure covers all civil servants, including public school teachers, according to Villafuerte, who is a co-author of this proposed legislation that has already been approved by the bigger chamber.
“Given President Marcos’ signing into law of a measure fixing the maximum terms of duty of top military officers and setting the retirement age of our soldiers at 57, it’s time for the Senate to pass a complementary, House-passed bill allowing government personnel, including public school teachers, to retire at 56,” Villafuerte, a former CamSur governor and now president of the National Unity Party (NUP), said.
“This would enable would-be retirees to reap the benefits of their hard work at a younger age and, at the same time, open up new job opportunities to those in the private sector who want to formally join the government but can’t in the absence of available positions in the bureaucracy,” Villafuerte said.
He called on the Senate to pass before the 19th Congress’ sine die adjournment on June 2 the counterpart measure – Senate Bill (SB) 1832 – that was authored by Sen. Ramon Revilla Jr.
Villafuerte was referring to the newly-signed Republic Act (RA) 11939, which amended RA 11709 by prescribing a fixed three-year tour of duty for the Armed Forces chief and other top AFP officers and letting all soldiers retire when they reach the age of 57 or had been in active military service for 30 years.
RA 11939 raised the compulsory retirement age to 57 from 56 or upon accumulating 30 years of satisfactory active military service for all soldiers as well as officers with the rank of second lieutenant or ensign up to lieutenant general or vice admiral.
“The House-passed bill on earlier retirement for our civil servants will give our over a million workers in government the option to leave public service at a younger age than currently allowed, so they can, for one, spend more quality time with their respective families even before they join the ranks of the elderly,” Villafuerte said.
Villafuerte explained that under HB 206, a government worker can retire at the age of 56 on condition that he or she: (1) has rendered service for at least 15 years by the time of his or her retirement; and (2) has not been receiving a monthly pension benefit from permanent total disability.
This Act shall take effect 15 days after its publication in the Official Gazette, which is the official journal and main publication of the Philippine government, or in a newspaper of general circulation.
