SENATE President Francis “Chiz” Escudero has filed Senate Bill No. 237, which seeks to lower the compulsory retirement age for public school teachers and non-teaching personnel in the Department of Education from 65 to 60 years old.

The measure aims to give DepEd employees the option to retire earlier, allowing them to enjoy more quality time later in life while opening up employment opportunities for younger professionals in the education sector.

“This measure shall also open the doors of opportunity to young teachers and non-teaching aspirants for jobs at the Department of Education,” Escudero said in the bill’s explanatory note.

He emphasized the need to continuously modernize educational services by fostering a dynamic and evolving workforce. Lowering the retirement age, he noted, would help strike a healthy balance between experience and fresh perspectives.

Escudero added that many nearing retirement age have expressed their desire to step down earlier and pursue other meaningful endeavors — from community work and business ventures to spending more time with their families.

“If enacted into law, this proposed legislation will also benefit hundreds of thousands of DepEd teaching and non-teaching personnel who wish to spend the prime of their lives engaging in other productive activities,” he said.