Gordon berates PRA chief for allowing 35-year-old Chinese nationals to ‘retire’ in Philippines

The Philippine Retirement Authority (PRA) drew the ire of Senator Richard Gordon on Monday after he learned that Chinese nationals as young as 35 years old are being allowed to retire in the country.

"That to me is dangerous. I didn't know that. I'm disturbed by it... It upsets me na kung sino lang dumating dito, even 35 years old papayagan niyo nang mag-retire dito," Gordon said during a Senate hearing on the proposed P3.8 billion budget of the Department of Tourism and its attached agencies for 2021.

"Thirty-five years old is [a] soldier's age... Thirty-five is too young. Not to cast aspersions upon our neighbor, would they allow us to retire at 35 there? don't think they are gonna let us retire there in China," he added.

The subject was taken up after Senator Nancy Binay said she noticed that the majority of the foreign retirees in the Philippines are Chinese nationals. She asked PRA general manager and CEO Bienvenido Chy about the age bracket of these foreigners.

"We start from 35 up," said Chy, a former chief of the Bureau of Immigration's legal division.

"The reason for the 35 years of age was that in Korea, the military would retire at the age of 35 and these are the retirees who would come to avail of this program," he added. "This has been the practice when I came in."

Data from the PRA showed that there are 27,678 Chinese retirees in the Philippines—the highest among over 100 nationalities who chose the country as their retirement destination.

Korean nationals placed second at 14,144, followed by the Indians at 6,120.

Binay said she asked about it because she's not sure if the PRA has the budget to monitor and ensure that these young retirees are not being employed by the Philippine Offshore Gaming Operators (POGOs).

"Kung ang demographics nila ay 35 years old, the probability of them working eh napakataas," she said.

"'Yung mga sinasabi niyo pong POGO, ang ages po niyan is nag-i-start ng 20. Itong 35 years of age, more or less sa mga ito pumpunta rito at they choose the Philippines as their retirement destination," Chy responded.

But Gordon was resolute in his position that this could pose risks to national security. He even reached a point of threatening to defer the DOT and attached agencies' budget hearing because of dissatisfaction with the answers of the PRA chief.

"Kahit na dinatnan mo 'yan, you should be savvy enough to know and check kung anong ginagawa nitong mga 35-year-old na ito," the senator said.

"After this meeting we will study this and then change the policy if it's possible," Chy told Gordon.

The Senate panel asked the PRA to submit a profile of the foreign retirees in the country.

The Tourism Promotions Board also vowed to coordinate with the PRA to address the senators' concern.—LDF, GMA News