Filipino veterans got $214M from US last year

2:46 am | Friday, February 3rd, 2012

On November 11 last year, US Ambassador to the Philippines Harry Thomas Jr. cited the “unparalleled service and sacrifice” of both American and Philippine war veterans.

More than 18,500 Filipino World War II veterans or their family members last year received a total of $214.4 million (about P9.22 billion) in benefits and services from the United States’ Department of Veterans Affairs (VA), according to the US Embassy in Manila.

The embassy furnished the Philippine Daily Inquirer a two-page VA report which said that the benefits included pension payments ($186.5 million); one-time equity compensation payments ($15.07 million); medical services ($10.7 million), and education-related funds ($2.12 million).

This year–the 90th anniversary of VA operations in the Philippines–the US government has allocated $192 million (about P8.25 billion), or $16 million (about P688 million) per month, in disability compensation to approximately 15,000 beneficiaries.

“These monthly payments are in addition to the one-time lump sum payments made to Filipino World War II veterans or their dependents as part of the Filipino Veterans Equity Compensation Program (FVECP),” the report said.

Since 2009, the VA has released over $221 million in one-time FVECP payments to some 18,530 eligible veterans who served under US command in World War II.

“This exceeds the 18,000 veterans estimated prior to the FVECP benefits becoming law,” the report said.

In 2010, FVECP-related payments totaled $112,841,204 (about P4.85 billion).

On November 11 last year, US Ambassador to the Philippines Harry Thomas Jr. cited the “unparalleled service and sacrifice” of both American and Philippine war veterans.

Speaking at Veterans Day rites at the American Cemetery in Taguig City, Thomas said, “We owe our service members and veterans a debt of gratitude.”

“For over two centuries, our countries have produced the finest men and women in uniform. Many are gathered here today and many more have lost their lives in battle. Our veterans are our liberators and our heroes. They are responsible for our freedom and the democracy we cherish,” he said.

Debt to veterans

The envoy emphasized that “our debt to our veterans cannot be repaid with a mere hero’s welcome alone. We must also ensure that our veterans are well taken care of and have opportunities for continuing education and disability and health benefits.”

At the same time, Thomas stressed the need to “honor those who answered the call to service when the US found it necessary to take up arms to defend that which we hold dear. Among them are our service members in Iraq, Afghanistan and other areas of conflict and instability, who have chosen to be away from their loved ones in order to preserve our freedom.”

In his remarks, the US diplomat pointed out that the VA “has been in the Philippines since 1922.”

“Our Veterans Affairs office in Manila is the only VA office overseas, a testament to the strong ties and still growing partnership between the US and the Philippines. VA Manila will continue its grant programs to the Philippines’ Veterans Memorial Medical Center as further evidence of our commitment to all Filipino war veterans and their families, our partners in peace,” Thomas said.

VA records show the agency’s grant-in-aid program to the VMMC has amounted to over $6.5 million in the past nine years.

The funds went to the upgrade of the Quezon City hospital’s equipment, including dialysis, ultrasound, fluoroscopy, CT-scan and MRI machines, Gamma X-ray camera, 2D-echocardiogram, cardiac monitors, as well as an eye center, among other things.

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Tags: Filipino Veterans , US , Veterans Affairs

Anonymous

It Must be nice. The U.S. is only 16 Trillian dollars in the whole
Anonymous

Well deserved $ that Filipino Veterans earned for their sacrifice in service to the world.
Anonymous

I am still waiting from all the lefties, or commies to write a comment on this piece… or are they still busy rallying, protesting and laying prostrate on the ground against US Military and Philippine Forces conducting military exercises??????

Anonymous

I have been waiting for the same thing. Where are all the blogers or the anti American Filipino’s. I wonder if it has anything that has to do with money. It’s ok to not hate American’s if they give you ther hard erned money But if you don’t give enought money and aid they hate you. What kind of a friend is that. They must be shy!!!!!!

http://joboni96.myopenid.com/ joboni96

wow that’s big money but
mostly released in the u.s.

just imagine
how the veterans would have helped more
the philippine economy

had the u.s. not delayed and
waited for the majority of the veterans
had passed away

before owning up
to their u.s. commitments

is this late commitment to our veterans
and media releases
related to their drive for
more tagong stealth u.s. bases
in our philippines?

Anonymous

The Philippine government should have paid there own veterans not the U.S.Government. The U.S. government should pay there own veteran’s.You always forget who came over to the Philippines to help get Japan back out in WWII. America was not at was untill Japan bommed Perl Harbor. That is when America went to war with Japan. Japan had a plan to take over the entire Pacific. America was the country that that saved the entire Pacific so that you AMERICA HATTERS can keep talking your anti American s*it!!!!!!!!!!!! Go back to school!!!!

http://joboni96.myopenid.com/ joboni96

u.s. blockaded japan economically
and caused pearl harbor

had u.s. not came uninvited
making war on another colonizer kastila
and colonized the philippines
our country would not have suffered in the
u.s. – japan war in ww2

while u.s. was sitting pretty
thousands of miles away

we are not u.s. haters
we are pilipinos
who love our country

t*e!!!!!!!
sino kailangang mag remedial class
sa pilipino history?
Anonymous

I sure don’t know where you get your info on WWII, But most of your info is wrong. The lefties really have you brainwashed.
And by the way if the Philippines would have stayed this Coloney that you keep talking about over and over again it would probably be much more successful than it is now, and that is a fact. Corruption is also a big problem the Philippines. The Philippines need to work on that too. That is why it is hard to attract and keep business there. To many people are always trying to rip the other people off and that needs to stop also. How can you have a good country untill things like this are taken care of?
I’m glad that all Filipino’s dont think like you. You need more history too and not from the leftest Bayan or where ever you get these crazy ideas from.
Anonymous

sh1seadad…. see my re-butt-al to Joboni69…. cheers1
http://joboni96.myopenid.com/ joboni96

do you even live here or
just maybe still a pilipino citizen?

if not
huwag ka ng sumawsaw dito
sa bayan namin
with your u.s. version of
pilipino history

have you even analyzed
your mass media like
saying – ohh those mexicans are sure violent
but have you seen those
ohh those u.s. guys are sure addicts
giving big business to the latin americans
narco businessmen

but it’s sure is good
gives uncle sam
the cover to send u.s. troops
to latin american countries
under the guise of fighting narcos

what’s happenin man
to those millions of u.s. junkies
why don’t they just rehab them

not bayan even
just your run of the mill
pilipino nationalist
who makes good research

unlike your internet
research on pilipino history

magbasa ka ng at least 25
pilipino history books
then come back to me
at least may backgrounder ka na
Anonymous

Joboni69…. please quit your non-sense… do not revise history to accommodate your ignorance… trust me on this one…. it will do you good…. the internet is here for you to do some research…. it will cure your ignorance… did you notice that I renamed you Joboni69???? your dead head is stuck up in someone’s A$$ that you are not thinking right…. I am just also wondering…. what drugs have you been taking lately….quit smoking weed dude… that’s passé…
http://joboni96.myopenid.com/ joboni96

huwag ka ng sumawsaw dito
sa bayan namin

you cant hack it here
so you got out to some easier clime

maybe you’re sending some $ to your relatives
good, maybe enough to payback
what you got from ph

you’re position is quite understandable
you’re in chronic stockholm syndrome and
a colonized mind
the 69? comes from an nyc polluted mind
Anonymous

Joboni69… here’s a quick history lesson for you…. 400 + years of Spanish colonialism…. there were good and bad things happened… on the good side… cultural enhancement… the bad side, they kept us in the dark… what was the missing piece in the puzzle ?… you are allowed to make a wild guess…. come on, while you’re still sober…. EDUCATION ! …. all kinds of wars soon broke out in Europe and America… next thing we know America was on our shores because of the Spanish-American War… 50 yrs under the US all of a sudden a large number of Pinoys started to speak in English….why because the missionaries started building schools and more schools in our country….they started to teach us politics, economics, medicine, engineering etc…etc…now, may I suggest that you take a personal inventory of where you are right now so that we, all of us in this forum can have a meaningful discussion on why we still react negatively toward America….the fact that they are willing to honor the just compensation to our WWII vets tho it took years to happen, you think any country would do that? Japan did a similar gesture to us to repay us when they ruined our country in WWII… there’s still a tiny pocket of Filipinos still wearing the “faux” patriotism mask… it’s time to see the light don’t you think?…. here’s to you… cheers !

I have all the right to make sawsaw ditto… Pinoy pa rin ako after all this years and I admonish all my kababayan to keep on learning, you owe it to yourself, to our parents and our community…. di nyo lang alam na maraming Pinoy dito who got all kinds of recognition and I am very proud of them !!!!
http://joboni96.myopenid.com/ joboni96

basahin mo ulit
para matoto ka

pagtuunan mo na lang ng pansin
ang bago mong bayan
dami nyong problema dyan

let us pilipinos
do our own solutions

not comments from a colonized
ex pilipino

you have abrogated your rights
tsupe

but of course
you can always come back to live here
then you can make sawsaw and
criticize till you get hoarse
Anonymous

if the figures are what the memo said, approx. $12,400.00 + go to each beneficiary… I’ll leave the rest of the computation to you guys… fair? maybe but the bottom line is, let’s all be thankful that the Vets got to get their money…let’s not be too greedy…

#2… sorry kabalen if I have been hard on you… I promise not to do that again, however you have to promise me too that you’ll take care of your IQ…. 96 or 69 whichever comes first…. ikaw na ang humusga….una kung pagdating dito sa ‘Tate that was what I did first kasi kumpitensya dito eh napakahigpit… kung me kakulangan…. subsub sa aral and ginawa ko and it worked well…. so listen to my advice para umunlad ka….
http://joboni96.myopenid.com/ joboni96

not greedy
just for fairness
for the promises to our veterans
and the families left behind

baka nga di ka makapasok sa mga
naging eskwelehan ko
dahil sa low iq mo

umuwi ka na dito
tignan natin kung oobra kang
umasenso dito

at ng makasawsaw ka ng tunay
Anonymous

Joboni69….the numbers I used was $186.5 million / 15,000 beneficiaries just to clarify how I arrived at $12,400.00 + ….
http://joboni96.myopenid.com/ joboni96

all released in the u.s.?
but sure some came to ph

how about those tens of thousands
of veterans who passed away

before the u.s. calculated
it’s now cost effective
to live up to its promises

since most of the veterans
are not already around
to claim

ok live your american dream but
stop meddling in our country

Anonymous

The Filipinos should have this figure investigated. Mukhang guston na man tayong lokhin ng mga kano.
Anonymous

This story is US propaganda…the real story is that the US renegged on their promise after WW2 so the PH vets had to sue the US govt. They won but only after 60 years when most of the 150,000+ veterans are already dead. Only about 18,000 survive. “Justice delayed”

Anonymous

PHtaxpayer…..granted that the US “reneged” on their promise re: compensation, let’s not forget that we lost the Commonwealth status when we decided to become independent right after WWII… the approx. 150,000 + Veterans you mentioned could have received the compensation right after the war… don’t you think ? So, the US government has all the prerogative to allocate and prioritize where funds should go… the Vets were able to receive the compensation because of intelligent sheer diplomacy…. so,… you can call the article US propaganda all you want, but we need to get a broader perspective of the events that took place in the past… that’s smart thinking…

Anonymous

You are ignorant of US-PH history. Look up your own federal law books, Tydings-McDuffie Act of 1934 or the PH Independence bill which grants PH independence after 10 years.

So if the US was “preparing us” for independence, by law, you think they would also take away our veterans benefits having served under the US military?

If it was made known to the Filipino’s that fighting for the Americans would not give them or their dependents veterans benefits after 1944 (when the bill stipultated our independence but was delayed to 1946 due to the Japanese occupation), you think they would still risk their lives for the Americans?

And, if you claim, it was our choice after WW2, to become independent (which is false because our leaders had been promised independence since 1898 when Admiral Dewey asked for Gen. Aguinaldo’s help to defeat the Spanish, and, American politicians thereafter had promised our eventual independence), how come these were not grounds in reneging or delaying our WW2 veteran’s benefits?

Many Americans like you are ignorant of their own history because of propaganda. It’s about time the truth comes out.
Anonymous

PHtaxpayer…. Dude… Chill out…. don’t rush calling people out ignorant… you have inevitably exposed your own ignorance by the way you are reacting…. you have totally misconstrued what I was saying… my point was, the PI government should have been on top of the issue about the compensation that, it got lost in the bureaucracy and got placed in the back burner….the roster of the Fil Vets were fresh and accurate and they were still alive at that time but because of the time that elapsed I bet there were some if not many more were denied and excluded and that’s a shame… it’s totally unacceptable….of course the US owes it to us by law, there’s no doubt about it…nevertheless, would the Filipinos have just sat and watched while the country was being ravaged by the Japs? Absolutely not! … we got sucked in to the war bec. the Philippines was then a member of the US Commonwealth…an unintended consequence…. I come from a military family, I have a personal connection to this because the war stories my grandfather told me when he was still alive are still vivid in my mind how he evacuated his entire family to the mountains of Zambales because the retreating Japs were burning one town after another…when I mentioned that you can label the article a US propaganda…I recognized your right and freedom to label what you seem as what it is….it’s a sign of my respect to you and your opinion…and again that’s smart thinking…don’t you think… I did not disagree with you a single bit because I also believe that the compensation was long overdue and as a side comment, I also mentioned that intelligent diplomatic strategy was employed for the release of the compensation was laudable even fascinating. Being angry and resentful is unhealthy and wouldn’t do anyone good..

It took a long time to finally receive the compensation… that was the lamentable part knowing that there were thousands not able to receive it sooner and to make it more revolting is that, all years that have gone by spent negotiating, those years were not even considered and probably dismissed altogether thereby not included with the final decision on how much money would be disbursed…. but let’s turn our attention on the brighter side, thank God that there’s still a good number of Fil. Vets got the compensation, and benefits that was long overdue and we need to be grateful for that. It’s a good thing. We cannot undo the past…but proudly, we need to keep on moving forward.Btw, the numbers of FIlipinos who perished in the US-PI war was from 200,000 to 1 million in my view seems to me if not a bit exaggerated, It would be safe to say “approximately”…also during that same period of US occupancy that we became more if not the most educated people in the Southeast asia region, a legacy we all have to be proud of.This is off the topic but it has some relationship that I spoke about US educational legacy, all the BPO representatives that I have interacted with to discuss issues about billings, computer tech support, I know I am interacting with Filipinos and their command of the English language and personal demeanor are absolute astounding as compared to other nationalities. and I am absolutely proud of them. I am have been away from the Philippines for a long time but that doesn’t make me any less a Pinoy.Anyways,….Here’s to you, Cheers !
Anonymous

OK at least you are talking more realistically. The point I was trying to make in my first comment on this article is that people should recognize propaganda for what it really is…a PR story designed to change (manipulate) the reader’s opinion to what the govt wants to do. That would be great if the govt is for the people’s welfare or benefit but history has not been kind to what the govt does to its people because it is controlled by a few powerful families.

The question of govt policy is whether it will benefit the majority or the few rich and powerful? The problem is, the majority are mostly ignorant because the rich control the mass media. But now information is more free than it ever was before, there is opportunity for the “ignorant” to become more knowledgeable and get closer to the Truth.
The US govt has been lying, scheming and deceiving us all and we must guard against this. If you want to know the history and facts behind this, you only have to research these names and events – Edward Bernay’s role in propaganda for the US military, USMC Gen. Smedley Butler and the Banana Wars. Pres. Eisenhower’s warning about the US military-industrial complex. Covert actions of US and UK from post-WW2 to present.

Now the question comes to us Filipino’s, what is our relationship with the Americans? Most of us, like you, will say, “we are allies, we have the same interests!” Well, this is simply not true at all. Yes there are common and universal interests (like basketball, Hollywood movies and pop music) but our national and security interests cannot be the same because our geopolitical, social and economic situation is TOTALLY different from the US. I will stop here and let you think about that.

Cheers!

Anonymous

US owes us those benefits…its not a gift. We paid for those benefits with our blood, sweat and tears. A small price to pay for our independence against US occupation and the rape of our islands for almost 50 years and 200,000 to 1 million Filipinos who died during the American military invasion from 1899-1902.

Filipino veterans got $214M from US last year

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