Planning to retire? Don’t

Recently, there was a news item that said, Filipinos are not good in preparing for their retirement. That’s true!

They do not prepare to be independent. Retirement pay, with increasing prices, is not enough to keep body and soul together. Especially if there is no other source of income.

But a bigger problem is our senior citizens do not plan to remain active in retirement. They should remain active.

* * *

Recently, Singapore’s founder and former Prime Minister Lee Kwan Yew told the Silver Industry Conference in Singapore, “Don’t retire. Retirement means death. Don’t stop working.”

Lee, at 85, has a very active life. And, he said, he wanted to educate and asked others to educate those who retire. Activity makes Lee going.  He maintains a heavy work schedule.

When I look at my friends around, Lee Kwan Yew is correct. Bredco president Sammy Palanca celebrated his 85th birthday recently. He is very active, very busy.

He does not go on vacation. He even does not travel. He has not gone even to nearby Boracay. And he is full of plans for long-range projects.

And he is not for amassing wealth. He is very generous to a point that some people abuse his generosity.

* * *

Former President Fidel V. Ramos also celebrated his 80th birthday recently. He is also very active and does not show signs of slowing down. He is an honorary member of the Sunshine Boys.

Another honorary member, former Bacolod Mayor Digoy Montalvo is also in his 80s. He is sick but still all right.

And I don’t go far for other examples. Just among our Sunshine Boys we have many in their 80s, having graduated in high school in 1948 or 60 years ago.

But if you see them or listen to them, you think they are in their 60s. Their secret, they have not retired and are still very active, besides having a cheerful outlook.

* * *

The Forty-Eighters are, alumni class president Pope Jalando-on, Hermes Aguilar, Pompey Querubin, Jun Rio, Ric Yanson and Buc-an Yulo.

The Forty-Niners are Toti Ramos and Marianing Tuvilla. Another Forty-Niner Honesto Galeno died last year. Alex Mirasol belongs to Class ’50, all of NOHS.

Again, their secret is their being active, not having retired from work. They still work hard.

Buc-an Yulo was a basketball player, a scoring sensation, and in the Interscholastic of 1947, NOHS was national champion with Buc-an as a forward, scoring the most.

Buc-an has been very active, law practice, Assemblyman, SRA and PEA administrator, and many more. He has been absent for two Sundays, busy with his law practice in Manila.

* * *

Ric Yanson personally runs his transportation businesses and traveling all over. Pompey Querubin also personally runs his security agency and Baciwa. Toti Ramos a former city councilor and board of accountancy chairman, runs his accounting firm. Jun Rio, even with his illness, runs his sugarcane farm. Marianing Tuvilla, a retired Commodore, is a full time farmer.

And very many more.

The elderly population all over the world is growing due to better nutrition and modern health care. But this can still be improved if what Lee Kwan Yew says we educate the elderly to be useful, by being active.

* * *

The Philippines as a tropical country is the best place for retirement by those living in temperate or frigid zones. Life is lengthened by a warmer climate. That is why our country promotes “medical tourism”.

But, this will be made more effective if those retirees do not come to just retire here. We should have plans to make them active by studying what they were doing when they were young and let them continue that work now.

Our own senior citizens who are still active can make them join what is being done. They will enjoy it.

* * *

I share the happiness of the families of the two law topnotchers, the Ong and Maalat families. If one in your family passes a board or a bar you are happy, more so when they top. That Saturday I called up Jack Maalat and congratulated him.

I congratulate Rep. Lim-ao Alvarez. His daughter Mercedes is now a lawyer also.

Last week my grandson Stevenzon passed the medtech board. I was very happy but I didn’t write about it remembering my late wife and daughter told me not to brag but be humble.

When Bambi passed the dental board and we received a call I went out of the gate and, like a child, told every passer by, my daughter is now a dentist. I later realized it was childish. But, I said, “So what?”

True! If I am happy let me express it the way I want. So what?*

back to top