Republic of the Philippines 
HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 
Quezon City 
TWENTIETH CONGRESS 
First Regular Session 
HOUSE BILL NO. 1322
Introduced by Representative MARLYN L. PRIMICIAS-AGABAS 
EXPLANATORY NOTE 
This bill seeks to lower the optional retirement age of public-school teachers from 60 to 55 years 
old so as to give justice to the plight of our public school teachers. 
Teachers are the cornerstone of the Philippine educational system, playing a pivotal role in 
shaping the minds and future of the nation's youth. As public school educators, they face tremendous 
challenges: managing classrooms, keeping up with evolving curricula, and balancing administrative 
responsibilities, all while striving to ensure the academic and personal growth of their students. The 
physical, emotional, and mental demands placed on teachers can, over time, take a significant toll on 
their well-being. It is said, when a public teacher retires at the age of 55, he or she will probably 
reach the age of 80, but when a public teacher retires at the age of 60, he or she will only reach the 
age of 65. 
This is how the longevity of public teachers is now measured given the herculean task lodged 
unto them on a day-to-day basis. The continuing hazard and high level of stress attendant to the 
environment in which they live in, mostly result in absorption of occupation related diseases like lung 
cancer and other terminal illnesses. Records disclose that public school teachers in our country are 
working under bleak working conditions. Teachers also work in 40 out of 54 weeks per year. Working 
under this condition, propelled by long hours of work inclusive of vacation months and holidays, as 
teachers continue to bring their advisory and work-related loads at home, unnecessarily exposes public 
teachers to deteriorating health conditions. 
Under Republic Act 8291, otherwise known as the “Revised Government Service Insurance 
System Act of 1997,” the optional retirement age for public school teachers is set at 60 years old. While 
this age is a standard retirement age for many government employees, it is increasingly recognized that 
teachers, due to the demanding nature of their profession, may benefit from an earlier opportunity to 
retire. Lowering the optional retirement age to 55 will provide teachers with the flexibility to retire earlier, 
giving them the chance to enjoy a well-deserved rest, while also allowing younger, dynamic educators to 
enter the workforce. 
This bill seeks to amend Section 13-A of Republic Act No. 8291 to lower the optional retirement 
age for public school teachers from 60 to 55, thereby aligning retirement opportunities with the realities 
and challenges faced by teachers, improving the overall efficiency and sustainability of the educational 
system. 
Public school teachers should be given the necessary accolades for a job well done. They should 
be given the privilege of optional retirement at an earlier age taking into consideration the working 
conditions they are in, and the tributes that should be conferred upon them for their contribution in 
transforming our students into educated and productive citizens. And most importantly, public school 
teachers should be given the option and the opportunity to enjoy their lives at an earlier stage for 
themselves and their families at the age of 55. 
Approval of this bill is earnestly sought. 
MARLYN L. PRIMICIAS-AGABAS 
July 7, 2025
8:05 am


Republic of the Philippines 
HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 
Quezon City 
TWENTIETH CONGRESS 
First Regular Session 
HOUSE BILL NO. 1322
Introduced by Representative MARLYN L. PRIMICIAS-AGABAS 
AN ACT 
LOWERING THE OPTIONAL RETIREMENT AGE OF PUBLIC 
SCHOOL TEACHERS FROM SIXTY (60) YEARS OLD TO FIFTY-FIVE 
(55) YEARS OLD, AMENDING FOR THE PURPOSE SECTION 13-A OF 
REPUBLIC ACT NO. 8291, 
OTHERWISE 
KNOWN 
AS THE 
GOVERNMENT 
SERVICE INSURANCE SYSTEM ACT OF 1997 
Be it enacted in the Senate and the House of Representatives in Congress assembled: 
SECTION 1. Section 13-A of Republic Act 8291, or the Revised Government Service 
Insurance System Act of 1997, is hereby amended to read as follows: 
“Section 13-A. Conditions for Entitlement, x x x A member who retires from the 
service shall be entitled to the retirement benefits in paragraph (a) of Section 13 hereof: 
Provided, That: 
“(1) he OR SHE has rendered at least fifteen (15) years of service; 
“(2) he OR SHE is at least sixty (60) years of age at the time of retirement, OR AT 
LEAST FIFTY-FIVE (55) YEARS OF AGE IN THE CASE OF PUBLIC SHOOL 
TEACHERS; and 
“(3) he OR SHE is not receiving a monthly pension benefit from permanent total 
disability” 
SECTION 2. The provisions in pertinent implementing rules and regulations and other 
issuances inconsistent with this Act are hereby repealed or modified accordingly. 
SECTION 3. This Act shall take fifteen (15) days following its publication in at least two 
(2) newspapers of general circulation.
Approved,