AKO BICOL Party List Rep. Rodel M. Batocabe has filed House Bill No. 136, which seeks to have an optional retirement age of 56 years of age for all employees in the public and private sector.
Aside from the obvious benefits of reducing the retirement age to their physical health and professional careers, the reduction harmonizes the retirement age across all government employees as well as private employees. At present, the mandatory retirement age for the police and the AFP is 56 while other government employees still need to work for more years.
With a 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. VAT exemptions, mandatory membership in the government’s healthcare system, and discounts for medicines, basic necessities, and services will all come at an earlier age, reducing the physical toil on our citizens to keep working just to reach the retirement age and avail of the benefits of being a senior citizen.
This bodes well for the families of our retirees as well, as our retirees have more time to spend with their loved ones in relative comfort. Our retirees and their families will enjoy the fruits of decades’ worth of labor and will lessen the burden on the family’s spending.
The lower retirement age ultimately helps the bureaucracy, as it hastens the turnover of government positions to younger professionals, making way for the infusion of fresh blood in public service. Countless cases involving public officers emphasize the need of a younger workforce in the government to inject new perspectives and insight into the government’s ranks.
The bill also creates more employment opportunities for those seeking employment in the government and a chance to serve the country.
Click on LINK below to download HB 0136:
House Bill No. 136 – Reduced Optional Retirement Age Act
AKO BICOL PARTY LIST 