Benefits given to veterans antiquated - PVAO official

MANILA, Philippines -  Filipino veterans of World War II are facing a new struggle: the benefits they are receiving are no longer responsive to their needs.

Administrator Ernesto Carolina of the Philippine Veterans Affairs Office (PVAO) told The STAR the P5,000 monthly old age pension and the P10,000 burial assistance given to veterans are not enough to meet current living standards.

“Obviously, people who defended the freedom we are enjoying today should be taken care of,” he said.

“The least that we can do is if we cannot make them live comfortably, at least we should not allow them to live in misery.”

Carolina said the rate of burial assistance is already “antiquated” due to the rising costs of funeral services.

“The burial assistance is so antiquated… Based on market rates, you have to spend about P50,000 to P60,000 for burial,” he said.

“That does not include the food you will serve during the wake.”

Carolina said many veterans are living in poor conditions, some of them residing in squatters’ areas.

“There are many poor veterans,” he said.

“If their children are squatters then they are also squatters.”

Bataan Rep. Herminia Roman told The STAR some veterans do not have enough money to buy their basic necessities.

“They (veterans) don’t even have a house of their own,” she said.

“They only buy half of the prescription for their medicine.”

Speaking during the launching of a photo exhibit coinciding with Philippine Veterans Week, Roman, House committee on veterans affairs chair, said the veterans did not receive salaries when they fought during World War II.

“They don’t deserve these (conditions),” she said.

“They fought for our country without any pay, unlike our soldiers today who are now receiving salaries. These veterans fought and risked their lives. They served without conditions.”

They are continuously pushing for measures that would increase the benefits given to veterans, Carolina and Roman said.

A bill seeking to raise the burial assistance given to veterans to P20,000 from P10,000 has been approved on final reading by the House of Representatives.

A Senate version of the bill has been filed and is awaiting approval.

Officials said the higher burial assistance would still not be enough to satisfy the needs of veterans.

“It is very little, but it’s better than the current rate,” Roman said, adding, “The government is facing a budget deficit.”

Carolina said the veterans have “high hopes” that the 15th Congress would pass the bill.

“For our World War II veterans whose average age is 86 and are dying at the rate of 250 to 300 a month, it is a matter of life and death for them,” he said.

The PVAO supports calls to gradually increase the old age pension to P10,000 from P5,000, he added.

Carolina believes the motivation of young soldiers would hinge on the way the government treats its veterans.

“Young people are witnessing how the government is treating the veterans and their motivation to fight in the future is affected by how the government treats its veterans,” he said.