So retirement becomes mandatory at 65 years old even if the teacher has not reached 15 year minimum requirement to avail of monthly pension. This is one painful fact that every teacher must take to heart if only to give justice to the years of service and avail of the fruits of your labor during your heyday years.
Sad to say however, this was not foremost in the minds of some Human Resource in-charge. Nobody usually thinks retirement will come one day. But then it does. So since the question goes: what is next after the teacher retires? To some it means a long time of travel and rest. To others, a time to make good the promise to have the organic vegetable garden! Still to others, it means, another entrepreneurial endeavor when the opportunity is given.
Thus, life remains ever challenging whether still in the work force or after retirement. It is your personhood that matters. Even being a teacher is not the most important qualification as your vivacity and versatility. So are you game teacher-retirees?
Teaching, they say, is the noblest profession and after teaching for more than 40 years, I can vouch for it. It is the retirement package however that the government or private institution that you serve that can make you smile or frown.
In my case, I availed of optional retirement after 20 years in a private establishment so the take home package was not the amount expected that allows the retiree to live a decent life. This is complicated by the fact that there are still children who go to school. So the logical decision is to teach somewhere and this time in a government institution. So I did but I forgot that I have only 15 more years to spare otherwise I will not receive pension. As it happened it is the case now.
So, I may be the "guinea pig" but I was not extra careful myself to protect my rights so no one could be blamed except myself. Still the HR could have been a little cooperative and went a mile more to remind me of the precarious situation I was in.
Teaching, indeed, is the noblest profession but it is not the best paying job in the world. However, I received the best send-off retirement/65th birthday so I can never complain. Most of all my children do not mind giving me financial support or give their share to shoulder some of the bills so there is no reason to complain.
Therefore, retirement is both painful and happy event but with all the attending perks, it is still more of a happy event!
It was not long ago when Holy Week began and now the week ends with Easter Sunday. How days go by now but first things first: Happy Easter fellow Mentors! At a time when all we hear are bad news any semblance of Easter spirit is a welcome respite. Over and above material things is the Easter message, that Jesus is risen Alleluia!
Education as already been shared by experts hopes to "lift us up" and makes every individual more human and humane. Mentors always make this realization ever present. May we have more mentors who believe in this.
Let us begin this dream right there in our own homes.
In one of life's scenarios, I blurted out that I will soon retire when a colleague commented: "Oh, you will soon retire? so soon, you will become retarded!" This remark was one supposed to be taken as a joke although that somebody literally said it to my face. I want to believe that this guy who said it at the time it happened, did not mean it so I must take it lightly. Today, Holy Saturday, it just dawned on me that while I still take it as a joke, people out there should not be mean, said lightly or not.
Teachers, like us, have the uncanny ability to incorporate this setting in one of our class discussions. Your parents will be proud of you and the world will be better for sure. We may have all the inventions that intelligence can produce but the best is not something technology can muster, it is only education that can painstakingly nurture every person to become humane.
In my case, I have been teaching since 1972 and all through the years, I think I have done my best in the field of teaching. Then I realize I am retiring on July 1 and am still farther away from saying with confidence to the Lord: "I have done my best and admit to all the students brought to my care that I was their best teacher." Does this mean I am accepting the comment that I am becoming retarded? No, I am just accepting the part of the painful realization that life is bigger than my retirement. I will continue to become a better person beyond retirement. I may be retiring but certainly and definitely I am not becoming retarded.
Pope Francis, the Supreme Pontiff of the Roman Cathoic Church visits the Philippines
0 comments Posted by Malaybalay Blogger at 12:40 AM
For the visit it was first Sri Lanka then the Philippines. The dates came and went, January 15 to January 19, 2015. To this day, it was like a whirlwind for we did not have enough of his awesome smile and generous aura but he had to go back to Rome.
In my case, way back 1971, I saw Pope Paul VI up close in Quezon Memorial Circle. I cried treasured the rare moment. Forty-three years later, I say Pope Francis, on tv, and I also cried. As teachers, we realize the roles we play being the second parents of our learners, but with the Pope, he lifts all of us to a metaphysical level and there are no more categories. With Pope Francis as the Vicar of Christ, we are all brothers and sisters and he has come to tell us of God's love.
Pope Francis, we love you.
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