FOURTEENTH CONGRESS OF THE REPUSLIC) 
OF THE PHILIPPINES 
1 
First Regular Session 
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Introduced by Senator Miriam Defensor Santiago 
EXPLANATORY NOTE 
This bill seeks to amend Sections 13, subparagraph (b) and 13-A, subparagraph 2 of 
Republic Act No. 8291 otherwise known as the Government Service Insurance Act of 1997. The 
primary objective of this measure is to allow government employees to retire after serving the 
government for a period of twenty (20) years regardless of the retirement age requirement under 
existing retirement laws. 
For many decades now, the Government Service Insurance System (GSIS) has sustained 
a seemingly obsolete and impractical age requirement for optional and compulsory retirement 
age of sixty (60) and sixty-five (65) years respectively. This may be considered irrelevant and 
incompatible to the present state o f  economic life of the Filipino people in the light of the 
economic and political changes brought about by globalization trend and other factors such as 
rapid population growth and the increasing unemployment rate. 
This measure will certainly help open windows of opportunities for prospective retirees 
giving them better choice in planning the future of their respective families considering the 
amount they will receive from retirement benefits while they are still strong and capable of 
venturing into other fields. It will also help attain efficiency in the government service as it will 
not only enable the government to get rid of government employees, who no longer have the 
drive to perform efficiently as they are just waiting for the right age to retire but will give the 
government the opportunity to hire fresh legs and minds to fill the positions to be vacated by 
retiring employees for the benefit of public service. 


This is a Senate counterpart bill to one filed in the House of Representatives by Rep. 
Emilio C. Macias 11. 


FOURTEENTH CONGRESS OF THE REPUBLIC) 
OF THE PHILIPPINES 
1 
First Regular Session 
1 
SENATE 
%No. 21G5 
Introduced by Senator Miriam Defensor Santiago 
AN ACT 
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PROVIDING FOR THE WAIVER OF THE RETIREMENT AGE REQUIREMENT OF 
GOVERNMENT EMPLOYEES WHO HAVE RENDERED AT LEAST 
TWENTY YEARS (20) OF SERVICE, FURTHER AMENDING FOR THE PURPOSE 
PRESIDENTIAL DECREE NO. 1146, AS AMENDED, OTHERWISE KNOWN AS THE 
REVISED GOVERNMENT SERVICE INSURANCE SYSTEM ACT OF 1977 
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Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the Philippines in Congress 
assem bled: 
SECTION 1. Section 13 of Presidential Decree No. 1146, as amended, otherwise known 
as the Revised Government Service Insurance System Act of 1977, is hereby amended to read as 
follows: 
“SEC. 13. Retirement BeneJts. - (a) Retirement Benefits shall be: 
(1) the lump sum payment as defined in this Act payable at the 
time of retirement plus an old -age pension benefit equal to the basic 
monthly pension payable monthly for life, starting upon expiration of the 
five-year (5) guaranteed period covered by the lump sum; or 
(2) cash payment equivalent to eighteen (18) months of his basic 
monthly pension plus monthly pension for life payable immediately with 
no five-year (5) guarantee. 
(b) Unless the service is extended by appropriate authorities, retirement 
shall be compulsory for an employee at least sixty-five (65) years of age with at 
least fifteen (15) years of service: Provided, That if he has less than fifteen (15) 
years of service, he may be allowed to continue in the service in accordance with 
existing civil service roles and regulations.” 
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SECTION 2. Section 13-A of the same law, is hereby amended to read as follows: 
“SEC. 13-A. Conditions for Entitlement. - A member who retires from the 
service shall be entitled to the retirement benefits enumerated in paragraph (a) of 
Section 13 hereof. Provided, That: 
(1) he has rendered at least fifteen(l5) years of service; 
(2) he is at least sixty (60) years of age at the time of retirement; and 
(3) he is not receiving a monthly pension benefit from permanent total 
disability. 
PROVIDED, FURTHER, THAT IF HE HAS RENDERED AT LEAST 
TWENTY (20) 
YEARS 
OF 
SERVICE, THE RETIREMENT AGE 
REQUIREMENT UNDER THIS ACT SHALL BE WAIVED.” 
SECTION 3. All laws, decrees, executive orders and rules and regulations which are 
inconsistent with this Act are hereby amended, repealed or modified accordingly. 
SECTION 4. This Act shall take effect upon its approval. 
Approved, 
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