Showing posts with label retirement. Show all posts

THE NEED TO DOWNSIZE OUR LIFESTYLE

AS WE ADVANCE IN AGE

By Cristina Valeriano

At a young age, many of us have been carefree, especially, those who belong to the upper echelon of the society. For the working class, the 15/30 wage is nothing but loose change compared to their family’s affluence. Also, for them, the job is just a reason for socializing and the jobsite, a venue for meeting friends.

But anything can happen, as what a popular adage says, “what goes up must come down”. Seriously now, rich or otherwise, there is a need to prepare ourselves in downsizing our lifestyle as we approach the threshold of our retirement. And for this writer, the situation is where I am now.

Retirement opportunity comes in many ways: one is in a package offered by the employer with the end objective of giving way to younger blood; two, is upon reaching the age of 60 which is an optional; three, is at the age of 65 which is the point of no turning back; and four, is when the company is in financial distress.

Retirees in the Philippines have lifetime securities, such as the pension from either the SSS or GSIS, aside from the “plans” that have been purchased while employed. With the soaring of the cost of living, the big chunk of the retiree population, though, has become helpless with their meager pension which is not even enough to buy two health maintenance drugs and a regular check up.

Downsizing of lifestyle needs a lot sacrifice on the part of the retirees, especially, if retirement came early due to uncontrolled circumstances. Worst is the situation wherein their children refuse to cooperate by maintaining their idle status despite having earned college degrees. Many retirees are found to be still supporting their idle “graduate” children whose alibi in failure to find a job is the distance of the workplace from home or the pittance wage which for them is not worth the sacrifice of waking up early in the morning.

Despite the aforementioned disheartening situations, it is worthy to note that many retirees find solace in their church and community volunteer service in place of the frequent partying with “amigas” or drinking sprees in beerhouses with “kumpares” before. Some venture into home-based business such as making bead jewelries and baking. But to keep them abreast with the happening in the world, many are into cyber-socialization, a laudable effort, for it does not only divert the attention of the retirees from the cafes and expensive restos, but keeps the brain working. However, it is important that leg muscles are stretched occasionally, so that, a weekly trip to the mall with the grandchildren is still very necessary for a grab of sandwich and juice!

Ang Kawawang Kalagayan ng Maraming Pensiyonado

ng Social Security System (SSS) ng Pilipinas

Ni Apolinario Villalobos

Kawawa talaga ang kalagayan ng karamihan sa mga pensiyonado ng Social Security System (SSS) ng Pilipinas. Sa isang banda, ang hindi kawawa ay ang mga dati nang may kaya sa buhay bago nagtrabaho at ang mga namuno sa SSS mismo na milyon-milyon ang sweldo. Ayon sa balita, ang SSS ay may 7 Senior Vice-Presidents at 16 Vice-Presidents. Ang mga sweldo at bonus nila ay milyon-milyon din daw, pati ang mga allowances na kasama ang gastusin para sa mga alagang hayop o pet at grocery. Wala ring aalalahaning problema sa pensiyon ang mga kurakot na opisyal ng gobyerno dahil kapag nag-retire na ay siguradong milyon-milyon  na rin ang naipon nila na kayang ipamana maski sa mga apo sa tuhod.

Samantala, ang mga nag-retire nang mga miyembro ng SSS ay nagtitiis sa barya-baryang pensiyon. Nauunawaan naman ang sistemang binabatay ang pensiyon sa buwanang naiambag ng miyembro, kaya mayroong nagpepensiyon ng minimum na mahigit lang ng kaunti sa isang libo kada buwan dahil sa ikli ng panahon ng pag-ambag at kaunting halagang naiambag. May iba pang batayan sa pagminuta o pag-compute ng pensiyon kaya lumalabas na ang iba, kahit ang dating trabaho ay foreman ng mga kargador sa pantalan ay mahigit sampung libo ang pensiyon kung ihambing sa ibang manager na mahigit lang sa 7,000 pesos.  Ang masakit nga lang ay ang katotohanang nagpabaya ang SSS sa paglikom ng mga naiambag ng mga empleyado na kinaltas ng kanila-kanilang switik na mga employer kaya hindi lumalago ang pondo upang maging batayan sa pagpalaki rin ng pensiyon ng mga retirado. Kadalasan din, ang mga aktibo pa sa trabaho ay hindi rin malapag-loan dahil hindi nire-remit ng kanilang switik na employer ang kanilang contribution. Ayon sa balita ay wala pang 40% ang pinakahuling nalikom ng ahensiya batay sa kabuuhan ng mga miyembro, na sa kasalukuyan ay umaabot na sa 31milyon.

Nangangamba daw ang SSS dahil pagdating ng 2029 ay maaapektuhan ang pondo kung ibibigay sa 2milyong pensiyonado ang 2 libong pisong dagdag sa bawat pensiyon kada buwan kaya hindi inaprubahan ni Pnoy Aquino. Ayon naman sa gumawa ng panukala sa Kongreso na si Cong. Colmenares, dapat nga raw ang minimum na pensiyon ngayon ng retiradong miyembro ay 7,000 pesos. Marami daw namang paraan upang mahabol ang pagpalago ng pondo nito, tulad ng nabanggit nang  pagpapa-ibayo pa sa paglikom ng mga ambag, at pag-streamline o pagbawas ng mga “top-level managers” na malamang ay nagkakapareho o nag-ooverlap  ang mga responsibilidad. At lalong higit ay ang pagbawas ng mga nakakalula nilang allowances at mga bonus!

Sa Pilipinas, ang mga retirado ay hindi nabibigyan ng pagkakataong maging empleyado pagtuntong ng ika-60 na taong gulang. Ang may gulang na 40 nga ay itinuturing nang “overaged” ng ilang employers. May iilang nai-extend ang trabaho subalit hindi na regular ang status nila kundi “Consultant” hanggang umabot sa gulang na 65, kaya ang turing sa suweldo nila ay “Consultancy fee” na wala na ring benepisyo tulad ng allowances na kung tawagin ay “perks”. Ito yong mga nasa “senior management level” na ang saklaw ay mula manager hanggang Senior Vice-president, pero ang mga performance bago mag-retire ay namumukod-tangi, o yong may mga dating responsibilidad na napakahalahaga sa pagpapatakbo ng negosyo o opisina. Ang mga nasa supervisory at rank-and-file level naman ay napakanipis ang pag-asang ma-extend bilang “Consultant”. Ang matindi pa, malimit ay hindi agad naibibigay ang retirement o separation pay kaya ang pag-follow up lang at pamasahe ay problema din. Dahil sa mga nabanggit, pagkatanggap ng separation pay o pensiyon ay makakaltasan na agad ng pambayad sa mga inutang na pamasahe at panggastos sa pamilya nang panahong nagpa-follow up ang nag-retire!

May nakausap akong retirado na ang ginagawa ay hinahati ang tabletang gamot na nireseta ng doktor upang tumagal kaysa naman daw mawalan siya ng maiinom dahil hindi kasya ang kanyang pensiyong pambili. Ang iba naman ay hindi na komukunsulta sa doktor kahit masama ang pakiramdam dahil mababawasan ang badyet na pambili ng pagkain. Ang iba pa ay dalawang beses na lang kumakain sa isang araw, at sa halip na isaing ang bigas ay nilulugaw na lang. Nang tanungin ko kung bakit minimum lang ang pensiyon nila, ang sagot sa akin ay dahil hindi permanente ang trabaho nila noon, mabuti nga daw at nakumpleto pa nila ang pag-ambag sa SSS hanggang sa sila ay mag-retire. Hindi naman daw sila nagkulang ng pagpursige sa paghanap ng trabaho subalit talagang wala daw silang makita noong kalakasan pa nila. May mga retirado akong nakausap na nagsabing kapag namamasyal sila sa park o mall ay may bitbit silang mga shopping bag na malaki o backpack para lagyan ng mga junks na mapupulot, lalo na plastic na bote ng mineral water o lata ng soft drinks dahil kahit papaano ang maliit na kita sa mga ito ay nakakatulong din.

Sa mga mauunlad na bansa, kahit malaki  ang kaltas sa suweldo ng mga empleyado para sa buwis at ambag sa social security ay sigurado naman ang mga benepisyo nila dahi ang pagpapa-ospital, gamot, at pagpapa-aral sa mga anak ay libre. Ang ibang hindi gaanong maunlad na bansa naman ay maliit ang kinakaltas sa suweldo para sa buwis at social security, na ang pinakamalaki ay hindi umaabot sa 20%, subalit magaganda pa rin ang kanilang mga benepisyo. Sa Pilipinas naman, ang kinakaltas sa suweldo ng mga empleyado ay mahigit 30% subalit wala halos katumbas na matinong benepisyo. Ito yata ang sinasabi ng pangulo ng bansang si Benigno S. Aquino III na “matuwid na daan”….at saan naman patungo?....sa pagkagutom?

Mahirap talagang magkaroon ng presidenteng hindi nakadanas ng kahirapan sa buhay. Ang problema sa pensiyon ng SSS ay dumaan din sa ilalim ng nakaraang mga administrasyon, at lalong lumala sa panahon ni Pnoy Aquino ngayon. Kung sa halip na puro sisi ang ginagawa niya sa nakaraang administrasyon ay nagpakasipag na lang siya bilang presidente, sana kahit kapiraso ay may maipagpasalamat sa kanya ang mga Pilipino.

The Importance of Having Ready Cash

And Investment

By Apolinario Villalobos

The issue on economy affects all creatures on earth. Even stationary living creations such as trees and oceans are affected by it. If forests, for instance, get depleted due to unscrupulous logging, and fishes in the oceans get killed by pollution due to the waste from factories, they eventually affect the economy of the world, because they are sources of man’s livelihood.

The cash has become an important commodity on earth that, even for the retired and the future retirees, the degree of a comfortable life later on, depends on it. Fortunate are those who have invested in revenue-generating ventures, or at least, have saved enough, so that, by the time they cease working, they have something with which to augment their monthly pension.

In another case, wives who depend on the monthly remittance of their working husbands should not be too reliant on their 15/30 wage even if the take home is much more than the average. For instance, just because their husbands earn more than 50 thousand pesos which is the usual basis for a very comfortable life, the wives should bear in mind that anything can happen, such as sickness in the family, closure of their husband’s workplace, disaster such as fire, etc. In other words, they should always set aside something for the “rainy days”.

The wives should help their husbands by thinking of ways on how to generate additional income from the “extras” derived from their wage. Unfortunately, some wives equate the “extras” with travel, jewelries, casino, unnecessary parties, etc. to the point that they have become “addicted” to them, as the habit has become deeply imbedded in their consciousness. Weekends see the whole family going to malls for lunch and shopping; birthdays “require” lavish preparation; budget for casino is discreetly set aside for at least two-day gambling spree in a week; and of course, there is always a share for the weekly visit to derma clinic and beauty parlor, etc.  

One story is about a wife who receives an allotment of about 40 thousand pesos from her husband who works as a seafarer. She was so comfortable with the allotment and with the thought that it will always be that way until her husband who just arrived met an accident while driving his car from a party. Unfortunately, it was found out that the husband’s employment documents were spurious so that he got nothing from the insurance company and the government agency that takes care of the OFWs. The operation and long hospitalization of her husband practically depleted the family’s fund. Their two children stopped going to school, they sold their house, and with the meager amount left from the sale after paying their debts, the whole family went home to the husband’s province.

On the other hand, I know of some friends who have prepared for their future by buying parcels of land to be developed into small orchards.  As their retirement was approaching, they filled their lands with saplings of local fruits. Today, they are literally enjoying the fruit of their investment. Other friends followed their example and did the same, making them excited as they look forward to their retirement so that they can work in their orchard.

Saving cash and investing on affordable ventures are securities for the future. The monthly pension should not always be relied on, as some retirees have been shocked when they found out that their monthly ROI (return of investment) from SSS or GSIS is not even enough to cover their maintenance drugs and regular medical check -up.

Take it Easy with the “Impression”

By Apolinario Villalobos

It is not good to have an outright impression about another person, just because the latter is perceived to be different from the rest, in how he/she carries or garb himself/herself for respectability. Unfair judgment or unfair conclusion, tend to come out, because of this attitude.

For instance, a woman dressed to the nines, complete with jewelries can catch the fancy of tongue waggers, as a lady-by-night or “tour guide” for foreign tourists. A good-looking man who tries his best to dress well in order to exude a respectable image as his ploy to get a good-paying job is sometimes judged as a callboy or worst, a pickpocket.

Other people are perceived by others as bums, couch potatoes, whose time is devoted to brisk walking or jogging in the morning, gazing at the TV set and sitting it out the whole afternoon with peers, just because they quit their regular job – a very unfair impression. Those who have this unfair impression have no way of knowing what the people that they are judging, are doing.

There is always something to do beyond a certain point in life such as a job that has been left. Resourceful people, always find means to land another job after quitting one, even on short-term consultancy basis. If some people cannot imagine themselves doing this, they might as well, just keep quiet. It is bad to think that others are just “pakalat-kalat” around, just because they have no regular job, as this is tantamount to calling him a bum!