House OKs extra funding for war veterans’ pension

The House of Representatives granted the appeal of the Philippine Veterans Affairs Office (PVAO) to allocate additional funds for the pension and other benefits of war veterans and their surviving spouses.

Davao City Rep. Isidro Ungab, chairman of the House Committee on Appropriations, said the additional funding for PVAO was among the amendments introduced to the 2016 proposed 3.002-trilion General Appropriations Act (GAA) which was approved by the Lower Chamber on October 9 before Congress adjourned.

"PVAO has been given funding for the World War II veterans and their surviving spouses," he told the Manila Bulletin.

During the September 8 House Committee on Appropriations deliberations on the proposed 158.86-billion budget of the Department of National Defense (DND) for next year, DND Undersecretary and PVAO Administrator Ernesto G. Carolina appealed to lawmakers to provide 2.7 billion for the compensation of the World War II veterans and their surviving wives.

"How can we ask the US government to pay the widows of our World War II veterans, if we are not paying what is due them,” Carolina pointed out.

The Department of Budget and Management said for 2016, the government allocated 252.7 million for 12,388 pensioners who fought in the World War II and who are 80 years old and above.

Carolina said there are more than 12,000 living Filipino war veterans.

This year, a total of 32.4 billion was allocated to support the pension requirements of 129,406 pensioners.

During the hearing, it was revealed that a total of 33.1 billion was allocated to support the pension requirements of 132,060 pensioners.

It was also noted that the 642 million will only support the pension requirements of the 4,094 pensioners who will resume pension in 2016.