Pres. Benigno Aquino III. Inquirer file photo.
President Benigno Aquino III on Thursday praised war veterans and assured them that the government has not forgotten the sacrifice they had made for the country more than 70 years ago.
In his Araw ng Kagitingan (Day of Valor) speech in Bataan province, Mr. Aquino said that through good governance, war veterans could now enjoy the many benefits, especially for healthcare, that they deserve, having given much of themselves in exchange for the country’s sovereignty.
“Our commemoration of this Day of Valor is accompanied by the celebration of Philippine Veteran’s Week. To our veterans: The Filipino people honor the bravery you showed as you defended our freedom and fought for a better future. This is why we must protect and promote your rights, the same way you exhibited such compassion and commitment toward your fellowmen and your country,” the President said.
Surviving veterans
Along with their families, World War II veterans, some of whom survived the Death March that began after the Filipino and US forces surrendered to the Japanese on April 9, 1942, attended the 73rd anniversary of Araw ng Kagitingan at the Mt. Samat National Shrine in Pilar, Bataan, on Thursday.
They came expecting Mr. Aquino to announce a raise in their old age pension, and left disappointed.
“Almost three generations have passed since Bataan fell. After intense fighting, Filipino and American soldiers were forced to surrender to the Japanese. Now, we gather once more to pay tribute to the collective valor of those who fought in that era. As we recognize their heroism, we stand united with former allies and foes in continued pursuit of widespread peace and prosperity throughout the world,” Mr. Aquino said in his speech.
For the war veterans, many of whom are now in their twilight years, Mr. Aquino said good governance has allowed for the improvement and the expansion of the benefits they receive.
Revalidation program
He said that the government, through the Pensioner’s Revalidation Program, has been cleaning up and “correcting” the list of veterans receiving benefits, stressing that it is “only fair that legitimate veterans receive full benefits, and that no unqualified individual receives a share.”
The validation program, spearheaded by the Philippine Veterans Affairs Office (PVAO), is being undertaken with the help of financial institutions, local civil registrars and other government agencies.
The President also said the records of veterans are now digitized. The system has led to a 99.95-percent validity rate of the pensioner accounts list in 2014.
“The money set aside for you now goes directly to you. In fact, as of March 2015, the number of pension accounts of living veterans and of dependents of injured or deceased veterans handled by the PVAO has increased to 198,169,” Mr. Aquino said.
Healthcare
The government, he said, is making sure that war veterans are receiving “the necessary healthcare,” especially in government hospitals like Veterans Memorial Medical Center.
“Part of our efforts is the provision of daily medical subsidies for veterans when they get confined at a health facility. We also extend financial assistance for operations concerning cataract, coronary angiogram, angioplasty, cardiac bypass and chemotherapeutic agents,” he said.
Mr. Aquino said that nearly 9,000 veterans and their dependents have benefited from the healthcare service provided by the government since he took office in July 2010.
To date, the service amounts to some P81.6 million, he said.
The government also provides the veterans subsidies for medical products such as orthopedic implants and prosthesis, hearing aids and dentures, he said.
Education
The President also emphasized that since July 2010, the government has provided support for the education of 15,571 dependents of veterans under the PVAO’s Educational Benefits Program where each qualified dependent is given
P36, 000 a year.
The government has allocated P305.2 million for this program since he took office, the President said.
He also gave the assurance that active members of the Armed Forces of the Philippines and the Philippine National Police are taken care of as well.
“Whether here at home or abroad, they truly demonstrate the caliber of our uniformed services. They confront dangers that are, at times, unimaginable or beyond what were agreed upon,” Mr. Aquino said.
“I say this on behalf of our countrymen: We salute our uniformed services for the valor they demonstrate, and all the Filipinos who are ready to stand for principle, regardless of the challenges set before them,” he said.
Not enough
But the war veterans and their families who managed to attend the ceremonies found the President’s announcement wanting.
Bonifacio de Gracia, executive vice president of the Veterans Federation of the Philippines (VFP) and former assistant chief of staff for personnel of the Philippine Army’s 7th Infantry Division, was disappointed that Mr. Aquino said nothing about pushing legislation in Congress that would increase the veterans’ old age pension.
Remedios Arellano, 75, wife of a war veteran, said she was dismayed that Mr. Aquino did not announce an increase in veterans’ pension and benefits.
The P5,000 monthly pension is not enough to buy medicines, said Gene Guamos, 80, widow of a war veteran.
Leonardo Reyes Baluyot, 89, from Botolan, Zambales province, said Mr. Aquino did not promise anything for war veterans like him.
According to Baluyot, he receives P6,700 as a monthly pension but it is not enough to sustain his needs.
Veterans have been asking the government to raise their monthly pension to at least P20,000, but a bill that would give them more benefits remains pending in Congress.
Philippines not alone
US Ambassador to the Philippines Philip Goldberg, who also laid a wreath at the Mt. Samat shirine, hailed the valor of the Filipino and American soldiers in World War II.
In his speech, Goldberg stressed that the US mutual defense treaty with the Philippines is “ironclad,” echoing US President Barack Obama’s promise when he visited the Philippines last year.
“In good times and bad, we stand together, shoulder to shoulder,” Goldberg said.
He noted that “in 2015, as in 1942, we face challenges and threats together as partners, friends and in many cases now, family.”
“Whether we are fighting terrorism or responding to the devastation of natural disasters, we face them together. And when the Philippines is threatened, it is not alone,” Goldberg said.
“When we talk about the defense of our common interests and values, let us not forget that 70 years after the end of World War II, we are joined in our efforts to protect the security and defense of this region by Japan,” he said.
Strategic partners
“Yesterday’s enemies are today’s allies and strategic partners, yet another legacy of the sacrifice and heroism of US and Filipino soldiers so long ago,” he said.
Goldberg’s remarks came amid increasing concerns over the extent the United States would support the Philippines in a territorial dispute with China in the West Philippine Sea.
Friends forever
Also participating in the ceremonies, Japanese Ambassador to the Philippines Kazuhide Ishikawa vowed to continue working with the Philippines and the United States and Japan’s other allies to contribute to peace and prosperity worldwide.
Japan “has been contributing to the peace, stability and prosperity of the Asia-Pacific region and as one of the best partners of the Philippines and a US ally,” Ishikawa said.
“Action speaks louder than words,” he said, referring to cooperation between the Philippines and Japan as “strategic partners.”
Ishikawa said Japan was the “No. 1 trading partner of the Philippines, as well as the No. 1 donor of official development assistance to the country for decades.”
“Not to mention projects for infrastructure and social and economic development. We also provided humanitarian aid and disaster relief when Supertyphoon ‘Yolanda’ (international name: Haiyan) hit this country,” he said.
Like his predecessors, Ishikawa apologized for Japan’s invasion of the Philippines in World War II.
“I wish to express our heartfelt apologies and deep sense of remorse for all who suffered during those fateful days. We all remember and never forget what happened here,” Ishikawa said.
“Seventy years ago, we were enemies. Now we are friends, close friends,” he said. “May that friendship be forever.” With reports from Jerry E. Esplanada and AFP
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