Economic team and the Armed Forces of the Philippines cap military pension consultations, agree to find policy consensus

The economic team, in cooperation with the Department of National Defense (DND) and the Office of Senator Jinggoy Estrada, Chairperson of the Senate Committee on National Defense and Security, Peace, Unification and Reconciliation, has successfully completed thirteen (13) consultative meetings with all branches of the Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) from May 25 to June 21, 2023.

In addition to the AFP General Headquarters and service branches in Metro Manila, the group also visited the Philippine Military Academy (PMA), and all six (6) unified commands of the AFP in Tarlac, Quezon, Cebu, Davao, Zamboanga, and Palawan.

Representatives from the Department of Finance (DOF), Bureau of the Treasury (BTr), the Department of Budget and Management (DBM), and the Government Service Insurance System (GSIS) emphasized the importance of investing in peace and security.

“Ang goal po natin ay magkaroon ng sustainable pension system para sa ating military. Gusto nating alagaan ang ating mga sundalo from the day they enter service up to their retirement,” DOF Undersecretary Maria Cielo D. Magno said.

“We are grateful to the economic team for working closely with the military on the pension reform. We saw how the proposal has evolved to accommodate the concerns and comments of the troops on the ground during this month-long consultation series,” said DND Assistant Secretary Erik Lawrence Dy.

The economic team is now working with the DND and the AFP in refining the proposed pension system for the military personnel.

The key features of the proposal include a contributory system, annual review of the pension rate in lieu of indexation, and various pension options for retirement.

In the coming weeks, the economic team will continue the consultative roadshows with the PNP and other uniformed personnel to discuss their respective pension programs.

Visayas Command (Cebu)

Eastern Mindanao Command (Davao)

Western Mindanao Command (Zamboanga)

Western Command (Palawan)

Southern Luzon Command (Lucena)

Northern Luzon Command (Tarlac)

Philippine Military Academy (Baguio)