Roman bill for war vets signed into law

BALANGA CITY , Bataan – Last November 27, President Benigno Aquino III signed into law Republic Act No. 10649  “An Act increasing the burial assistance for veterans from Ten Thousand Pesos (P10,000) to Twenty Thousand Pesos (P20,000),” amending Republic Act No. 6948, as amended by Republic Act No. 7696.

The House Bill was authored by Bataan First District Representative Herminia B. Roman who is also the chairman of the House Committee on Veterans Affairs and Welfare. She told local newsmen here that she is also appealing for the approval of other bills giving more assistance to veterans.

Under the new law, the rate for burial assistance extended by the government to Filipino veterans will take effect on Friday, December 12, the Philippine Veterans Affairs Office (PVAO) reported last Friday.

In a press statement released to media, PVAO Administrator Ernesto Carolina said the implementation of the new rate will only start 15 days after the publication of the law in the government’s website Official Gazette.

According to the law, a veteran is defined as: any person who rendered honorable military service in the land, sea or air force of the Philippines; was a member of the Philippine Expeditionary Forces to Korea (PEFTOK) and the Philippine Civic Action Group (PHILCAG); any person honorably discharged or separated after at least 20 years of total cumulative active service, or separated from service due to injury or sickness incurred in the line of duty War veterans from Bataan welcomed the signing of the new law. “Bagamat late na ito ay natutuwa pa rin ako at ang aming mga kasamahan. Malaking tulong ito sa aming mga maiiwan,” Luis Siasat, a veteran from Samal, Bataan said.

House records reveal  that the last time the Philippine Congress increased the veterans’ benefits was April of 1994. These include House Bill No. 2367, which seeks to increase the pension of WWII, Korean, and Vietnam war veterans who are not receiving pension from the Armed Forces of the Philippines to P20,000.

A Senate bill is also pending seeking to increase the old age pension by P1,000 annually until it reaches P10,000. According to PVAO statistics, as of August 2014, there are 36,281 surviving World War II and Post-War veterans and an estimated 140,000 legal dependents.

Meanwhile, the Provincial Government of Bataan, since the time of then Governor now Second District Congressman Enrique “Tet” Garcia, Jr. up to the present administration of Governor Albert Raymond  S. Garcia, continues to give rice subsidies and other major assistance to the war veterans and their spouses along with senior citizens.