The country’s economic managers have successfully concluded a series of consultative meetings with all branches of the Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) in an effort to find a consensus on military pension policies.
Over the course of a month, from May 25 to June 21, representatives from the Department of Finance (DOF), Bureau of the Treasury, the Department of Budget and Management, and the Government Service Insurance System engaged in 13 meetings with the AFP.
Throughout the consultations, the group ventured beyond Metro Manila to engage with the AFP General Headquarters, service branches, the Philippine Military Academy, and the six unified commands in Tarlac, Quezon, Cebu, Davao, Zamboanga, and Palawan.
DOF Undersecretary Maria Cielo D. Magno said: “Our goal is to establish a sustainable pension system for our military personnel. We want to take care of our soldiers from the moment they join the service until their retirement.”
DND Assistant Secretary Erik Lawrence Dy said: “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.”
Currently, the economic team, together with the Department of National Defense and the AFP, is refining the proposed pension system for military personnel.
The proposal encompasses key features such as a contributory system, annual pension rate reviews as an alternative to indexation, and diverse retirement pension options.
In the following weeks, the economic team plans to continue the consultative roadshows, engaging with the Philippine National Police and other uniformed personnel to discuss their respective pension programs.