Vice President Noli de Castro yesterday vowed to fast-track the processing of benefits and pensions of World War II veterans in the country.
In his speech at the celebration of the Araw ng Kagitingan on Mt. Samat in Pilar, Bataan, yesterday, De Castro said the government has already drawn up several measures to pay the much-awaited pensions and other benefits of Filipino soldiers who fought alongside the United States against the Japanese in the last world war.
Due to lack of funds, the government has accumulated some
R6.2-billion arrearages in the veterans’ benefits as of last year.
De Castro said the government and the Philippine Veterans’ Affairs Office (PVAO) are now verifying the list of pensioners to find out if they indeed received their benefits and pensions. De Castro said this move has resulted in the collection of
R214 million in over-payments.
The government is also planning to rent out portions of the land where the Veterans’ Memorial Hospital is located. The National Housing Authority (NHA), one of the key shelter agencies being supervised by De Castro as chairman of the Housing and Urban Development Coordinating Council (HUDCC), owns these portions.
Income to be derived from them shall be used to finance the arrearages and in the management of the hospital, according to De Castro.
The Vice President said an improved system in sending pensions of the veterans is also being studied by the administration. The number of banks accepting remittances for the veterans is being raised by the government for their convenience.
The government is also mulling increasing the veterans’ hospitalization subsidy from
R200 to R400 per day.
Meanwhile, De Castro bared there are three new laws being proposed in the US Congress that seek to provide additional benefits for Filipino WW II veterans. The proposed measures also seek to officially recognize their service.
De Castro assured the veterans that the government is monitoring the developments on these proposed laws through the Philippine embassy in the US.
