Lowering of Optional Retirement Age Bill Set for Committee Deliberation

The House of Representatives is set to deliberate House Bill No. 207, also known as the Lowering of Optional Retirement Age (LORA) Bill, which seeks to reduce the optional retirement age for government employees from 60 to 56 years old.

The measure will be taken up by the Committee on Government Enterprises and Privatization, with deliberations scheduled for February 18.

The bill was originally filed by the ACT Teachers Partylist during the 16th Congress and was refiled in the 17th, 18th, and 19th Congresses. In previous Congresses, the proposal advanced up to the third reading stage, reflecting sustained legislative support for the measure.

For years, teachers and government workers have been calling for the passage of the bill, citing the physical and mental demands of public service and the need to give employees greater flexibility in deciding when to retire.

Advocates are now urging both the House of Representatives and the Senate to act swiftly on the measure and for the President to sign it into law once approved, saying the time has come to finally grant workers the option to retire earlier with dignity and security.