RECENTLY, suggestions and pitches have been made to open up the employment field to people who have reached retirement age. The National Economic and Development Authority (NEDA) says that there is a need for institutions, practices, and regulations to evolve and respond to the changing times and address the demands that go with a fluctuating era.
Likewise, it has been noted by the country’s socioeconomic planners that life expectancy has risen in many societies, including in the Philippines, where the number of senior citizens has increased, which means society has opened up opportunities for the age-old members of their population.
Given the severe economic times that many Filipinos now have to confront, more seniors are attempting to go back into the labor market, finding that their savings and retirement funds are falling short in meeting their and their family’s needs for necessities such as food, utilities, health care, transportation, and housing.
The “silver tsunami”
The phrase silver tsunami was devised in Singapore in 2012 when the country introduced the “policy of re-employment.” This was to encourage citizens to continue working beyond the official retirement age of 62 while giving employers the flexibility to decide who they wished to retain, and the terms of their retention. The “minimum” re-employment age was set at 65 in 2012, and in 2017 it was raised to 67 – though people can work beyond that age if both parties agree. The country then temporarily squeezed its foreign worker openings to allow more native Singaporeans to get jobs.
Based on the Census of Population (2015), 7.5 million Filipinos were aged 60 years and above, or 7% of the total population. Between 2030 and 2035, the population of Filipino older persons is estimated to double in size. With its aging population, the Philippines needs to prepare for the care of older persons.
These elderly individuals deserve to take life easy and enjoy their golden years. But like what I said earlier, with the difficult times we are in, it might also be a good idea if more seniors (only those who want and think they can still do it) can go back into the labor market to allow them to meet their personal and their family’s needs for necessities.
According to Executive Director Sonny Africa of the IBON Foundation, “Household incomes have fallen so low after over a year of lockdowns that more and more youth and otherwise retired elderly are now also looking for work.”
For the aging population, their inadequate retirement benefits from state-run pension funds are getting devoured by inflation that spiked to a 2-year high in February. The pandemic compounded the issue which was evident in 2018, when inflation hit a 9-year high of 5.2%, while average monthly pensions paid by the Social Security System even dipped to 2.4%.
Should they go back to work? Can employers hire them? Is it even legal?
I’ll address the last two questions first. I think they can be re-hired and it is legal. From what I’ve read in legal literature, they can be hired. For one, senior citizens have an extensive career background which enables them to bring a wide-ranging assortment of experience to their roles. Furthermore, the law grants additional benefits to employers who hire senior citizens.
RA 9994 or the Expanded Senior Citizen’s Act aims to motivate and encourage senior citizens to contribute to nation-building. To be able to achieve this objective, the state offers incentives to private companies that will employ senior citizens. To quote, “Private entities that will employ senior citizens as employees, upon the effectivity of this Act, shall be entitled to an additional deduction from their gross income, equivalent to fifteen percent (15%) of the total amount paid as salaries and wages to senior citizens, subject to the provision of Section 34 of the NIRC, as amended: Provided, however, That such employment shall continue for at least six (6) months: Provided, further, That the annual income of the senior citizen does not exceed the latest poverty threshold as determined by the National Statistical Coordination Board (NSCB) of the National Economic and Development Authority (NEDA) for that year.”
Thus, private entities that will employ senior citizens shall be entitled to an additional 15% deduction from their gross income provided that the employment of the senior citizen continued for at least six months, and provided further that the annual income of the senior citizen does not exceed the latest poverty threshold. With such income tax deduction, and having in your team a potentially experienced employee, hiring senior citizens is an excellent opportunity.
But should they go back to work? After all those years of toiling? Well, that’s for an individual senior citizen to answer, after all, not all elderly are alike. Some are still physically and mentally active, while others are not.
In the city of gentle people
Here in Dumaguete, elderly professionals abound. While many have succumbed to a life of ease and relaxation, others are still “young” enough to search for mental “diversions” and challenges.
Considering the difficult times that we are all facing, getting back to the workforce is certainly a golden opportunity for many of us. Doing this will not just augment the monthly pensions that we get from state-owned agencies, it can also help us maintain our sanity (retired life can be boring), get back a semblance of usefulness and value, and most of all, it will address our need to be of full service to the community.
