RECEIVED
Republic of the Philippines
HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

Batasan Hills, Quezon City j/

TINE:

SEVENTEENTH CONGRESS
First Regular Session

HOUSE BILLNo.__ 99

Introduced by ACT Teachers Party-List
Rep. ANTONIO L. TINIO and Rep. FRANCISCA L. CASTRO

EXPLANATORY NOTE

This bill proposes to lower the optional retirement age for public school
teachers from 60 to 55 years old.

Earlier retirement is one of the demands resoundingly voiced during formal
and informal consultations with public school teachers conducted by this
representation. Teachers protest that, with the hazards and level of stress
accompanying their duties, compulsory retirement at the late stage of 65 years old
will not allow them to fully enjoy their retirement years. Teachers usually leave the
profession not with satisfied smiles but assaulted by various illnesses; whatever
retirement benefits they receive will be spent not for their rest or their own
businesses but solely for medical bills.

Teaching in our country’s public schools is indeed a challenging occupation,
with duties claiming much from teachers not just physically, but emotionally and
psychologically as well. The Philippines ranks among the countries with the most
dismal statistics descriptive of teachers’ working conditions, with average pupil-
teacher ratios from 31 students (primary level) to 45 students to each teacher
(secondary level), and average class sizes of 42.4 (primary) and 43.7 (secondary).
(UNESCO, 2015) Officially, instruction time is six hours each day, but actually goes up
to more than eight including advisory loads. Teachers work in 40 out of 54 weeks

\ House OF REPRESENTAT! INES:

pate: 30 JUN 2015

per year, but they have duties during vacation months, and even beyond the

classroom and the school premises.


Indeed, when compared to figures worldwide, it is harder to be a public
school teacher in the Philippines than in most countries. However, our teachers
retire five years later than those in most countries. Retirement age is 60 in most
North American, European, and Asian countries.

Respect and humane consideration demand that a person of 55 years—a few
years shy of being a senior citizen—should not be required to perform the arduous
functions expected of a public school teacher in the Philippines. At such stage of
their lives, public school teachers should at least be given the choice if they wish to
rest from the profession and enjoy more good and healthy years ahead.

Approval of this bill is earnestly sought.

Rep. ANTONIO L. TINIO Rep. FRANCISYA L. CASTRO
ACT Teachers Party-List ACT Teachfrs Party-list



Republic of the Philippines
HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
Batasan Hills, Quezon City

SEVENTEENTH CONGRESS
First Regular Session

59

HOUSE BILL No.

Introduced by ACT Teachers Party-List
Rep. ANTONIO L. TINIO and Rep. FRANCISCA L. CASTRO

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 8291, OTHERWISE KNOWN AS THE
GOVERNMENT SERVICE INSURANCE SYSTEM ACT OF 1997

8e 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 SCHOOL
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.


issuances inconsistent with this Act are hereby repealed or modified accordingly.

SECTION 3. This Act shall take effect fifteen (15) days following its publication in at
least two (2) newspapers of general circulation.

Approved,