Gov’t all set for PHL’s 72nd Araw ng Kagitingan celebration -- Palace

From the Philippine News Agency (Apr 6): Gov’t all set for PHL’s 72nd Araw ng Kagitingan celebration -- Palace

The government is all set for the country’s celebration of the 72nd Araw ng Kagitingan (Day of Valor) this coming Wednesday, April 9, Malacanang said Sunday.

Araw ng Kagitingan is a reminder of the heroism of both Filipino and American soldiers during World War II, which was shown when the Death March from Bataan to Camp O’Donnell in Capas, Tarlac took place.

Presidential Communications Operations Office (PCOO) Secretary Herminio Coloma Jr. in an interview on state-run dzRB Radyo ng Bayan, said that the celebration will be held at the Mount Samat National Shrine in Pilar, Bataan.

Coloma also said that those who were once part of the Death March will be honored during the event. Simultaneous celebrations of Araw ng Kagitingan will meanwhile be held in different parts of the country.

On another note, the PCOO chief said that the Philippine Veterans Affairs Office (PVAO) continues to improve delivering benefits for war veterans and their families.

He said that these benefits include those for old age disability, total administrative disability (TAD), death pension benefits, education, hospitalization, and burial assistance benefits, among others.

“One of the milestone achievements of PVAO for 2013 was the payment of total administrative disability arrears in the amount of P2.877-billion to 17,817 living World War II veterans covering the period 1994 to 2002,” Coloma said.

He said that the payment was charged against the pension gratuity fund of the 2013 General Appropriations Act. The payment of total administrative disability arrears materialized through the authority given by President Aquino last July 2013.

“This has brought the total payment for TAD arrears to P6.93-billion as of this date, which demonstrates the government’s resolve to deliver its commitment as mandated in Republic Act 7696,” he added.

For 2013, Coloma said that the PVAO delivered pensions amounting to P10.225-billion benefiting 199,000 pensioners, many of whom have one or more pension accounts.

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