Republic of the Philippines
House of Representatives
Quezon City

Sixteenth Congress
First Regular Session

House Bill No. 4501

Introduced by 1-BAP Party-list Representative Silvestre H. Bello III

EXPLANATORY NOTE

This bill seeks to lower the compulsory retirement age of public school
teachers to 60 years old, with optional retirement age of 55 years old,
amending for this purpose Sections 13(b) and 13-A of Republic Act 8291,
otherwise known as the GSIS Act of 1997 that sets the mandatory and
optional retirement age for government employees except those for the

military and the police service.

Longer teaching hours than our neighbour countries, high student-
teacher ratio or 35 students per teacher, only 10% of public school
teachers in higher education have doctorate degrees.....these data from the
National Statistics Coordination Board, together with the high poverty
incidence in the country, are factors that contribute to the current dismal

state of basic education in the Philippines.

While almost 100% of elementary teachers in Malaysia and Indonesia are
below 60 years old, 15% or about 62,000 elementary school teachers in
the Philippines are over 60 years of age.

With long working hours and larger class sizes than our neighbour
countries, these older teachers are unlikely to have the time, energy and
opportunity to have other pursuits, or equip themselves with higher skills

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to be abreast with modern teaching methods and technology, or at least
to prepare for alternative livelihoods to cross over to when they retire.

We have almost 14,000 newly licensed teachers every year or those who
pass the Licensure Examinations for Teachers (LET). With teaching posts
still being held by senior teachers, these new educators get stuck in
unemployment, or go for odd jobs which provide neither full employment

nor career satisfaction.

‘The few lucky ones find work in private schools, and so our youths in the
public school system are deprived of the new teaching methods and
youthful energy that these new and younger teachers possess.

If support will be given for this proposed bill to pass, we can open up
teaching slots in the public school system for our younger teachers who
have the greater energy and mental agility to prepare lesson plans for
large classes, especially when the curriculum is changing so often.

More retirees mean higher productivity. Government productivity will be
given a big boost with the infusion of a younger work-force which is more
technologically savvy and who can harness the benefits of modern
technology for better work efficiency and higher productivity.

More retirees mean more jobs. Opening the doors to early retirement for
senior teachers would allow government to free up the salary of older and
more expensive teachers and spread them to the younger and more novice
teachers who are cheaper to hire, thus generating more employment for
those who are well-versed in the latest, most effective teaching practices.

More retirees mean higher test scores. Research data in the US point to
the fact that early retirement of teachers led to higher test scores for
students. One potential reason for this is that new and younger teachers

not only came on board with newer and more effective teaching practices,

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but were more energetic in experimenting and finding other
methodologies to match their students’ aptitude levels.

Another potential reason proposed was that the experienced teachers put
in less effort as they neared retirement age, not wishing to invest as much

because they wished to retire.

More retirees will be able to enjoy many more good and healthy years
remaining in them to enjoy the fruits of their labour, go overseas or spend
more time with their families, or go for other pursuits. They can even go
to private institutions as consultants if they so desire, where their

experience can be harnessed.

More retirees mean more entrepreneurs. They can invest their retirement
pensions in other passions where they can become employers and

generate employment to the jobless.

Strong support for the approval of this bill is earnestly sought.

ive fo 1
Representative, 1-BAP Party-list

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Republic of the Philippines
House of Representatives
Quezon City

Sixteenth Congress
First Regular Session

House Bill No. 4501

Introduced by 1-BAP Party-list Representative Silvestre H. Bello III

AN ACT LOWERING THE COMPULSORY AND OPTIONAL
RETIREMENT AGES OF PUBLIC SCHOOL TEACHERS,
AMENDING FOR THIS PURPOSE SECTIONS 13(b) AND 13-A
OF REPUBLIC ACT 8291 OTHERWISE KNOWN AS THE
REVISED GOVERNMENT SERVICE INSURANCE ACT OF 1997.

Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the
Republic of the Philippines in Congress assembled:

SECTION 1. Section 13 subparagraph (b) and Section 13-A,
subparagraph 2 of R.A. 8291, or the Revised Government
Service Insurance Act of 1997 are hereby amended to read as
follows;
Section 13. Retirement benefits shall be:
(a) Xxx
1) xx
2) xxx

(b) Unless the service is extended by appropriate
authorities, retirement shall be compulsory for a
public school teacher at sixty (60) years of age:

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Provided that, if he has less than fifteen (15) years
of service, he shall be allowed to continue in the
service in accordance with existing civil service
rules and regulations.

SECTION 13-A. Conditions for Entitlement - A member
who retires from the service shall be entitled to the
benefits enumerated in paragraph (a) of Section 13
hereof: Provided, That:

1. He has rendered at least fifteen (15) years of
service

2. He is at least fifty five (55) years of age at the time
of retirement for optional retirement;

3. xxx
SECTION 2. The provisions under Section 13, subparagraph
(b), and Section 13-A, subparagraph (2), of R.A. 8291 and its
Implementing Rules and Regulations which are inconsistent
with this Act are hereby repealed or modified accordingly.

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

Approved.

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