Republic of the Philippines 
HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 
Quezon City 
EIGHTEENTH CONGRESS 
Third Regular Session 
HOUSE BILL NO. _______ 
Introduced by HON. JOY MYRA S. TAMBUNTING 
EXPLANATORY NOTE 
Republic Act No. 7157, otherwise known as the Philippine Foreign Service Act of 1991, was passed 
into law on September 19, 1991. Section 63 of the said law provides that “the President upon 
recommendation of the Secretary of Foreign Affairs may, as soon as practicable, submit for 
enactment by Congress of a foreign affairs retirement and disability system, taking into account 
the difficulties of foreign service personnel in setting aside sufficient savings to take care their 
eventual retirement in the Philippines due to old age or some other disability, with the increased 
burden of establishing a home in the Philippines after completion of their tour of duty abroad.”  
At present, there is still no law passed to implement the above provision. In this regard, this 
measure is humbly proposed with the intent of providing both present and future retirees of the 
foreign service support that is adequate and responsive to their needs, and to reassure them that 
their dedication and loyalty to the Filipino people is not forgotten. This measure provides for the 
automatic adjustment of monthly pension of covered members of the Foreign Service and other 
additional entitlements such as disability and death benefits as provided under RA 8291 and other 
relevant laws. 
On behalf of the people of Parañaque City’s Second District, and for the common good of the 
Filipino people, the approval of the said measure is earnestly sought. 
REP. JOY MYRA S. TAMBUNTING 
2nd District, Parañaque City 
June 14, 2021
3:16 pm
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Republic of the Philippines 
HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 
Quezon City 
EIGHTEENTH CONGRESS 
Third Regular Session 
HOUSE BILL NO. _______ 
Introduced by HON. JOY MYRA S. TAMBUNTING 
AN ACT ESTABLISHING THE FOREIGN SERVICE RETIREMENT PROGRAM 
UNDER THE GOVERNMENT SERVICE INSURANCE SYSTEM (GSIS), 
IMPLEMENTING SECTION 62 OF REPUBLIC ACT 7157 ALSO KNOWN AS THE 
"FOREIGN SERVICE ACT OF 1991" 
Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the Philippines in Congress 
assembled:  
SECTION 1. Declaration of Policy. – Article XVI, Section 8 of the 1987 Philippine 
Constitution states that “the State shall from time to time review to upgrade the pensions 
and benefits due to retirees of both government and private sectors.” It is the policy of 
this bill to provide adequate and reasonable retirement program to the members of the 
Philippine Foreign Service and to implement section 62 of Republic Act No. 7151 also 
known as the Foreign Service Act of 1971, which remained unimplemented for thirty (30) 
years and states among others that “the President upon recommendation of the Secretary 
of Foreign Affairs may, as soon as practicable, submit for enactment by Congress of a 
foreign affairs retirement and disability system, taking into account the difficulties of 
foreign service personnel in setting aside sufficient savings to take care their eventual 
retirement in the Philippines due to old age or some other disability, with the increased 
burden of establishing a home in the Philippines after completion of their tour of duty 
abroad.” 
SEC. 2. Coverage. – This Act shall apply to all officers and personnel of the Foreign 
Service who retired prior to the enactment of this Act and will retire after the effectivity 
of this Act, provided the following conditions are met: 
1. Service in the Department or in other agencies of the government for at least fifteen
(15) years;
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2. Members of and are eligible to receive a monthly pension from the Government 
Service Insurance System (GSIS). 
 
 
SEC. 3. Automatic Adjustment of Monthly Pension. – The monthly pension of all 
members of the Foreign Service covered under this Act shall be automatically adjusted at 
the same rate as any future or subsequent increase in the salary grade of the same rank 
he or she retired from. 
 
SEC. 4. Additional Entitlements. – All officers and employees by this Act shall be 
eligible for disability and death benefits as provided under RA 8291 and other relevant 
laws.  
 
SEC. 5. Funding. – Funding for the implementation of this Act shall be sourced from the 
member-government contribution of the DFA, in accordance with RA 8291.  
Differential funding for the implementation of this Act shall be sourced from any available 
savings of the DFA, and from percentage of the annual consular income of the DFA as 
included in the General Appropriations Act.  
 
To ensure that the cost of this Retirement Program is adequately met, DFA and GSIS 
shall meet on a yearly basis to discuss on the yearly funding requirement. Such funds 
necessary to meet the yearly funding requirement which are beyond the GSIS mandated 
contribution, shall be for the account of the DFA. The DFA shall remit to the GSIS as 
much funds as may be necessary for the continued implementation of this Program.  
 
SEC. 6. Implementing Rules and Regulations. – Within one hundred eighty days 
(180 days) after the effectivity of this Act, the GSIS and the DFA shall jointly draft and 
issue the rules and regulations for the implementation of this Act.  
 
SEC. 7. 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.  
 
SEC. 8. Repealing Clause. – All laws, presidential decrees or issuances, executive 
orders, letters of instruction, administrative orders, rules and regulations contrary to or 
inconsistent with the provisions of this Act are hereby repealed, modified or amended 
accordingly. 
 
SEC.9. Effectivity. – This Act shall take effect fifteen (15) days after its complete 
publication in at least two (2) newspapers of general circulation. 
 
Approved,