14'h CONGRESS OF THE REPUBLIC 
) 
OF THE PHILIPPINES 
) 
Second Regular Session 
1 
SENATE 
S.B. NO. 3151 
Introduced by Senator Ramon Bong Revilla, Jr. 
EXPLANATORY NOTE 
It is quite common nowadays that when government workers retire, they could no longer 
enjoy their benefits because they would either he too old or too sick due to old age. Sadly, 
government workers aged 55 and above are already suffering from career-related ailments such 
as hypertension, diabetes, mellitus, heart ailments, rheumatism, alzheimer's, pulmonary diseases 
and other related illnesses. Thus, most of their retirement benefits would just pay for their 
medical bills. 
The National Statistical Coordination Board defines median age at death as the median of 
the ages at death occurring in a population during a given year which divides the total number of 
deaths in a population classified by age into equal halves. It is a proxy for life expectancy that 
allows for simple trend analysis by sex, race, and cause of death. The calculation of median age 
at death only requires death data. Trends in median age at death are consistent with trends in life 
expectancy at birth. According to the National Statistics Office, in the year 2005, the median age 
at death for Filipinos is 61.9 years old. 
This bill recognizes such issues and proposes to lower the mandatory retirement age of 
government employees from 60 to 55. This way, the retirees can enjoy their retirement and 
pension benefits while still at a productive age. This hill will also allow them to venture into 
entrepreneurial businesses at an earlier time while they still have the energy and vigor to give 
them a reasonable chance of success. They can even work in the private sector for up to 10 years, 
if they choose to do so. 
Immediate passage of this hill is highly needed. 
enator 


14‘h CONGRESS OF THE REPUBLIC ) 
OF THE PHILIPPINES 
1 
Second Regular Session 
) 
Introduced by Senator Ramon Bong Revilla, Jr. 
AN ACT 
THE GOVERNMENT SERVICE INSURANCE SYSTEM ACT OF 1997 
AMENDING SECTION 13-A OF REPUBLIC ACT NO. 8291, OTHERWISE KNOWN AS 
Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the Philippines in Congress 
assembled: 
SECTION 1. Section 13-A of Republic Act No. 8291, otherwise known as the Government 
Service Insurance System Act Of 1997, is hereby amended to read as follows: 
“SEC. 13-A. Conditionsfor Entitlement. - A member who retires from the service 
shall be entitled to the retirement benefits enumerated in paragraph (a) of Section 
13 hereofi Provided, thae 
(I) he has rendered at least fifteen years of service; 
(2) he is at least [sixty (60)] FIFTY FIVE (55) years of age at the time of 
retirement; and 
(3) he is not receiving a monthly pension benefit from permanent total disability.” 
SECTION 2. Separability Clause. - If any provision or part hereof, is held invalid or 
unconstitutional, the remainder of the law or the provision not otherwise affected shall remain 
valid and subsisting. 
SECTION 3. Repealing Clause. - All laws, presidential decrees or issuances, executive 
orders, letters of instruction, administrative orders or rules and regulations, which may be 
inconsistent with this Act shall be deemed repealed, amended or modified accordingly. 
SECTION 4. Effectivity Clause. - This Act shall take effect fifteen (1 5) days following 
its publication in two (2) newspapers of general circulation. 
Approved,