Retirement is a natural phase where one retires from work, but not from life. This phenomenological study aimed at discovering the retirement experience of seven retirees representing the teaching, non-teaching, and management categories for a broader perspective. Due to the restrictions brought about by Covid-19, only one from each category assented to an interview. The rest of the participants wrote their answers to the questions. Follow-up for elaboration and clarification was done through Messenger. The responses were thematically analyzed. The results indicate that the retirees had some form of preparation for retirement but not in all the domains considered in this study: financial, health, psychosocial, and leisure. The gift of time for self and loved ones and freedom from work responsibilities served as the highs of retirement. In contrast, the lows included financial strain and the impact of the sudden change in daily routine. The retirees coped with the challenges through family support, foresight, and mental and emotional adjustment. The shared experiences resulted in a checklist that could guide the retirement preparation of
employees.