Public school teachers seek to lower retirement age to 57

Several public school teachers on Sunday called on the government to lower their optional retirement age to 57 to allow them to enjoy their retirement benefits while they are still strong enough to do so.

To promote this advocacy and to celebrate World Teacher’s Month, around 200 teachers held a motorcade in Mandaluyong City Sunday, Luisito Santos reported on Super Radyo dzBB.

“‘Yung panawagan namin ay ibaba na po ‘yung dapat na mag-retire na si teacher para rin po mapakinabangan naman po ni teacher ang kanyang retirement. Hindi ‘yung at the age of 60, at the age of 65, si teacher ay ipinagbibili na lang ng gamot ang kanilang retirement pay,” Miriam Villa Ignacio, president of Mandaluyong Federation of Public School Teachers Association, said.

(Our call is to lower teachers' retirement age so that they can take advantage of their retirement. At the age of 60 or 65, teachers often just use their retirement pay to buy medicines.)

The teachers also appealed for a salary increase, reducing their working hours, increasing their medical benefits, and providing them with hazard pay, among others.

In January, the House of Representatives approved on second reading the bill lowering the optional retirement age for government workers from 60 to 56 years old. — DVM, GMA Integrated News