Bill lowering optional retirement age of gov’t workers moves forward

Minority lawmaker, ACTTeachers Party-list Rep. France Castro welcomed the approval on Wednesday of a House measure proposing the lowering of the optional retirement age of government employees from 60 to 56 years old.

Approved by the Committee on Government Enterprises and Privatization during its hearing was a substitute for House Bill (HB) Nos. 86, 221, 529, 1501, 2681 and 3026.

The measures seek the lowering of the optional retirement age of government workers from 60 years to 56 years, amending for the purpose Section 13-a of Republic Act (RA) 8291, otherwise known as the Government Service Insurance System (GSIS) Act of 1997.

Castro, who is one of the authors, urged her colleagues Thursday to immediately pass the measure for its swift enactment into law.

“Since the 16th Congress, we have been pushing for a lower optional retirement age of public school teachers. In fact, this bill [was] already passed on third and final reading last 17th Congress in the House of Representatives,” she stressed.

“Now, the government must heed the strong clamor of its employees, the civil servants who dedicated their time and life to serve the nation, for the option to retire at an earlier age in order for them to enjoy their retirement benefits for as long as possible,” Castro said.

According to the lady solon, public school teachers have consistently asked to be given the choice to retire earlier during the conduct of formal and informal consultations nationwide.

“It is imperative that Congress listens to these government workers who have devoted their lives to honing the minds and nurturing the hearts of our youth in spite of receiving meager salaries, working in underfunded schools and doing additional, usually unpaid, miscellaneous tasks,” she noted.

The Makabayan member said the proposed law also benefits longtime government personnel who now find it hard to work due to nagging illnesses. “While the 65-year-old mandatory retirement age remains, government employees should be given the freedom to retire earlier, especially those who are suffering from ailments and are in need of intensive medical attention.”