THERE WAS nary a hoot when World War II veterans commemorated the Panay Liberation Day (also known as the Liberation of Panay, Romblon and Guimaras) on March 18, 2018. Seventy-three years ago brave Ilonggo guerrillas defeated the Japanese Imperial Army invaders.
How are our war veterans doing? More than a hundred of the little more than 8,000 Filipino World War 2 guerrillas still alive are from Iloilo, according to the Philippine Veterans Affairs Office. Let us not forget them and their sacrifices for us. Let us take care of them.
There is one good news for them: The House Appropriations Committee recently approved the funding provisions for House Bill 270 that would significantly increase the “old age pension” being received by Filipino war veterans. If signed into the law, the measure will increase the monthly old age pension of World War II, Korean War and Vietnam War veterans from the current P5,000 to P20,000.
Our war veterans are literally a dying breed. There will be less of them with us as the years pass by and that’s why we need to pass this measure as soon as possible. Once our war veterans are gone, they are gone forever.
Veterans of World War II, Philippine Expeditionary Forces to Korea (PEFTOK) and the Philippine Civic Action Group (PHILCAG) who are not eligible to receive retirement pensions from the Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) are only receiving an old age pension worth P5,000 per month and Total Administrative Disability (TAD) pension amounting to P1,700 per month. The 300 percent increase in old age pension that is being sought by the measure is a deserved benefit. We should guarantee them and their kin a minimum livable pension in accordance with the times. It will relieve them a great deal when it comes to their burden of buying maintenance medicine and other essentials.
The proposed increase of old age pension, however, is limited to the surviving “senior veterans” who are not receiving AFP pension. The old age pension hike shall be applied prospectively.
Our war veterans are already over 90 years old. They are way past their golden years and the least the government can do is to make sure they are comfortable from here on out.
