Janitor receives 0.92 pesos as retirement pay

@rsa101 (38148)
Philippines
January 19, 2009 6:46pm CST
I was troubled by what I saw in the news today. A UP janitor received 0.92 pesos, wow that was really really bad for a Janitor that served that university for several decades and said to have filed 1 day of leave in his tenure. So imagine how many leave credits does he have since he said he worked there since he was 20 years old and now he is 66 years old. That long and he just received 0.92 pesos? That seems to be surprising to me. The administration reasoned that is because this janitor had made so many co-maker and help many students in their financial needs. The school has this policy that if a student wanted to apply for a student loan an employee must volunteer to be a co-maker and many of the student who was granted loan never paid that is why the loan was deducted against his retirement pay. I really pity this janitor for being taken advantage of by these students who never paid their loans back and now he is suffering because of that. Although he volunteered for that but that is just not an excuse to forget their obligations against this poor guy.
4 people like this
18 responses
@oyenkai (4394)
• Philippines
24 Jan 09
Practically speaking, he got what he "deserved" and by that I mean strictly monetary values. Who really owe him are the students that applied for loans and abused his kindness by asking him to co-sign. The university has its rules and the janitor was well aware of it - we can't just be "nice" to everybody or institutions would end up bankrupt. I really find it disconcerting that I still haven't heard news that the students who owe him have repaid their debts. Thanks for the response on my discussion!
1 person likes this
@rsa101 (38148)
• Philippines
24 Jan 09
Well I also think that the UP administration should have look at the capability of this janitor to co-make which the administration failed to do. They just allowed him to co-make all the loans which this poor janitor didn't realize what he was doing. He thought that he can help and yes it did at what expense on his own retirement pay. I still think that UP admin did not look after the welfare of the employee because we can just put a stop on this person ability to become a co maker if the UP admin would just monitor how much he would be owing this amount if in case student fails to pay.
@rsa101 (38148)
• Philippines
26 Jan 09
Well in our company we have this policy to allow each one of us to co-make each other twice only. After which we are not allowed to anymore and that is for the protection of the co maker the one applying for must find another co-maker to sign for him. I don't find it discriminating at all because it is for my own welfare because we as employees can also be limited by what we are earning. And that should what have the UP administration have done. When they saw the Janitor having so many to co make the admin should have him informed about the consequences and be disapproved. I guess for an innocent janitor he was really taken advantage of this lax in the policy they are implementing. This could be prevented if the administration was really concerned about their employees.
@oyenkai (4394)
• Philippines
24 Jan 09
If they did restrict him from co-signing those loans then there would be a different issue and that would be discrimination :) I also didn't read anything about the janitor not knowing the consequences of his decisions... It's a pitiful situation but I seriously don't think that the admin is responsible for the results. I still blame both the janitor and the students for making those loans.
1 person likes this
@maroseqf (3657)
• Philippines
20 Jan 09
What? That is so unfair. The school administrators should have limited those students who made him a co-maker. Another thing is that, it is mandatory here in the Philippines to give retirement benefits to its employees who are 60 years old and above. That benefit is also tax free since the janitor have made more than 10 years of continued service and is already more than 65 years old. I think the janitor can file a labor case against the school and for sure, he will get more than a million pesos.
@rsa101 (38148)
• Philippines
20 Jan 09
There is no question about taxation in here because they did not deduct it. What they deducted was all of the student that had made him comaker and did not pay the school when they graduated. They forgot that the poor janitor will have to pay for them. I think its the administration's lapse that they did not demand payment for the student's outstanding balance and they just charge it conveniently to the poor janitor.
@maroseqf (3657)
• Philippines
20 Jan 09
Yes, I agree with you and as what I have said on my first response, they should have limited that number of students who made the janitor as their co-maker.
@anne25penn (3305)
• Philippines
21 Jan 09
I saw this story a week ago, but I did not know that this janitor only recieved that much after working that long in one of known universities here in the Philippines. The show where i saw this story gave him some livelihood, and I do hope that this can sustain him and his family. I hope that the students who used him as their co-guarantor in their student loans and was able to read or see his story try to repay him back in any way they can since this poor man, as they can see in the news, has nothing and cannot even buy his own medicines.
1 person likes this
@rsa101 (38148)
• Philippines
21 Jan 09
They say that the story started in an email that spread and journalist started looking for the person mentioned in here. I am happy that someone would be helping this man out. Hopefully he could manage this gift as he is old enough and may again be taken advantage of by other people.
• United States
20 Jan 09
Gosh that is just sad. All of that time and work and he just got that! How bad for him and his family I feel. That is just horrible.
1 person likes this
@rsa101 (38148)
• Philippines
20 Jan 09
Well that is really true but I think there are certain groups that are looking into helping this guy out. I just don't know how much they would be giving the guy out.
@aisaellis22 (6445)
• United States
20 Jan 09
Hello rsa101! Oh my, I pity the janitor. All his life he just wanted to help but look what happened to him now, no one seems to help him. Where are the conscience of those students? This kind of story made me sad and angry. I hope the school must be more considerate thinking that the man served for how 36 years making their school clean.
1 person likes this
@rsa101 (38148)
• Philippines
20 Jan 09
I do not know this person but I really disappointed he has help so many and now that he is the one needing it no one has ever recognized his efforts to help the students to pay him back at least. I know these students are now professionals and is now having their salaries already.
• United States
20 Jan 09
yes, you're right..I hope those students that he helped saw the news and their conscience wouldn't give them peace of mind and decide to help him out.
1 person likes this
@mods196621 (3652)
• Philippines
20 Jan 09
Poor janitor got only 0.92 because of those students who uses his name as co-maker and after they used him never to pay even a single centavo. Hoping that these people got karma on what they did to their fellowmen. I don't pray bad for them but I feel so touchng by the story of this poor janitor. Even he got volunteer to be their co-maker when they need to borrow money, they have their responsibility to pay back their loans. On the part of the administration they followed their policies. That is why he got only that amount.
1 person likes this
@rsa101 (38148)
• Philippines
20 Jan 09
I still feel that the management should have put a stop to this if they see that it is not helping the co-maker anymore. In our company the management can deny a co maker if he has already two or more since it will put him more at risk than the debtor. I guess UP admin should adopt this policy to avoid having this kind of situation which puts them in the bad light.
@riyasam (16556)
• India
20 Jan 09
that is so bad.the janitor has to bear others behaviour.he should have learnt his lesson the first time when the students loan was not paid in time. happy mylotting.
1 person likes this
@rsa101 (38148)
• Philippines
20 Jan 09
Let us just say that he isn't aware of this things he just wanted to help and did not know what the consequences of this will revert back on him. I guess his intention was good but again was abused by others which is the sad part of the story.
@edujccz (929)
• Philippines
20 Jan 09
No I dont believe with the reason that he was being used as a co maker by many. Prabably used as co maker but by one person only. This is an example from my wife who have been working with the government, she try to settle with the GSIS her retirement benefit before retiring and with her surprised for working in about 25 years she will get only an amount of 17 thousand pesos. I assumed it that way because, how much is an educational plan borrowed by a certain student, lets say as a student you can borrow 20 thousand and for a janitor in the government, i hope somebody is scrutinizing the records cannot guarantee for a student loan that many, remember my wife will retire as asst proffessor and she can only get that much. I told her better forget it and i will give you that money. This is how the government is, GSIS, its a rotten system out there, when my wife was working on her paper, they said the institution she was working has no record of remittance, so the poor wife has to zerox all the records and shoved it to their face. What an appalling stance of these government employees who have served most of their life serving the people and in the end they get nothing. we call it barya. wow . LOL. while the people in the GSIS are spending peoples money like water. well as they say, you are in the philippines, so smile. LOL.
@rsa101 (38148)
• Philippines
20 Jan 09
Well I am surprised that this is happening even to the professionals too. Well I think there is really something fishy goin on in here and should be investigated. In the Janitors case it was pretty much obvious and they made the trigger to put this out in the open and really got the attention of the public.
@aseretdd (13730)
• Philippines
20 Jan 09
Well, it is so obvious that the UP administration made a mistake... they should have ran after the students who did not pay their loans... and not punish a poor old janitor for that... i so sure that those some of those students are now professionals who can obviously pay up... but they are just too selfish to do that... I just hope everything will turn out all right for this man...
@rsa101 (38148)
• Philippines
20 Jan 09
True its really sad that this has happened to some Janitor who thought was helping others not knowing he was the one in peril of losing his retirement pay.
• Philippines
20 Jan 09
haven't heard the news about it yet. but i couldn't hardly imagine that this could possibly happen to anyone. isn't there any way to help the guy? it was such a pity story to tell. i hope the students will have their conscience examined. and help the very poor man now. it seems like he has been working as a janitor all his life and this is all he get? oh my god! there could have been any other way to help this man. the university should have considered his loyalty to the company. very poor... anyway happy mylotting!
1 person likes this
@rsa101 (38148)
• Philippines
20 Jan 09
Yes it is really true the person was interviewed by one TV show and he really confirmed that he is the man from the email that has been spreading for sometime already. I guess the TV researched on it and got the real person behind it. I hope the School would do something to this person as he deserve something. Also all those that he helped to finish schooling be conscientious enough to pay him at least for helping them.
@cathya (704)
• Philippines
20 Jan 09
I felt bad also upon knowing the janitors story. he was old enough and his family needs also the money that he supposed to get from his retirement. lets just hope and pray that the Civil Service Society can so something about it and for the students who asked him to be their co-makers to at least do their responsibility to pay their loan so that the janitor will soon get the money from his own labor.
1 person likes this
@rsa101 (38148)
• Philippines
20 Jan 09
True This is something that Civil Service Commission is looking at how it came to that computation. I just hope that the Janitor would be paid what is due him as I really don't think this is not right at all. I think he deserves something.
@Rexdoron (345)
• Malaysia
20 Jan 09
That is pathetic. My heart goes with the janitor. It is a sad thing when we are treated badly after we did many good things. He must have a kind heart to made such a thing in his life as a janitor. Not many people would volunteer themself for a risky thing that could affect the whole life. I respect him for that and the only thing I could do right now is pray and hope that he would get benefits from what he did. Have a great life.
1 person likes this
@rsa101 (38148)
• Philippines
20 Jan 09
Yes very sad thing that there are others that are taking advantage and then forgetting about it.
@snowcat46 (2322)
• United States
20 Jan 09
That is terrible! To help people all your life, to help those students to improve their life, and then for them to conveniently "forget" to repay. They should go after those students, not this loyal and trusting employee. What a way to repay years of service! "Hey man, you got all these kids started on their own lives, and you were loyal to us for 40 years, we really appreciate it. To show our appreciation, we're going to kick you in the head by forcing you to repay the student's loans so we don't have to bother chasing them down. That would be too much work for us. Then we're going to kick you a few more times, just to show you how much we appreciate your loyalty to us and our students. Have a nice day!"
@rsa101 (38148)
• Philippines
20 Jan 09
Thanks!
@paoxav (1382)
• Philippines
20 Jan 09
Well I can't blame the UP management for that. I saw it on the news, it's really disappointing at first but when I saw the story, I understand him somehow because the retired janitor stands as a guarantor to some of the employees before who use to own big loans to the University. That should be a learning lesson not only to him but to everyone that we should not guarantee anyone mostly if money talks.. But anyway, it's great to hear in the end of the news that some will somehow give the old guy a financial needs for his future.. Good for him..
1 person likes this
@rsa101 (38148)
• Philippines
20 Jan 09
I think its still UP management responsibility to put a stop to him being made a co maker which obviously would not make the man able to pay later. I think when choosing a co maker you the one lending should also see that the co maker can pay it if in case the debtor is not able to pay. In this case they have taken advantage of the ignorance of these janitor and led him to this mess.
• Philippines
2 May 09
This is the most unfair news I ever read. Retirement pay means pay for service for a company for a long time. Means you have given all your life and effort for that employer and this 0.92 pesos is what they deserved? How I wish this is not happening to them, is this a joke, certainly not a good joke. The problem on the student must be different from the janitor. What kind of school administration they have. What about their family , their health, hope it can be reverse.
@rsa101 (38148)
• Philippines
2 May 09
It did happen and it happen in a well known state university.
@nixxi76 (3191)
• Canada
20 Jan 09
That is really terrible for those students to be so selfish and wrong for him to help them out like that. I don't know what I would do if I only received that amount for retirement. How much is 0.92 pesos in American or Canadian funds? I"m sure it wouldn't be that much by the sounds of it.
@rsa101 (38148)
• Philippines
20 Jan 09
Oh that would not even reach 1 cent in US or Canadian dollar.
@bubblyapple (2653)
• Philippines
20 Jan 09
I have watched this news in TFC. I really don't get it. How could they mess up with the records? The janitor worked hard all his life, and what did he get? Screwed. The university ought to do something about it. I applaud the students for having the initiative to help out when they learned about the janitor's plight.
@rsa101 (38148)
• Philippines
20 Jan 09
Yup I guess there must be something flawed in the computation of it. The administration is making investigation about this. I know this spread as an email and now is becoming a major news.
@salonga (27775)
• Philippines
20 Jan 09
My goodness that is so sad! How come this janitor allowed himself to get used that way, I mean there is nothing wrong with helping but you have to know if you are already being abused. Maybe this man did not know the obligation of a co-maker or maybe he really has been too merciful. Well, if he did that in good faith and was abused in the process I am sure God has a way of blessing him.
1 person likes this
@rsa101 (38148)
• Philippines
20 Jan 09
Yeah true... he was recently interviewed in the TV this morning and he looks pretty old and seems pretty sincere in what he did to help others. I just hope that he would be given the proper recognition for his generosity at least. Because there are also students who do recognized his efforts. It is sad and sometimes humbling to know there are people that are like this. Who despite their status in life is still able to help.