PVAO wants to increase war veterans’ pension to P20,000

From GMA News (Sep 8): PVAO wants to increase war veterans’ pension to P20,000

The Philippine Veterans Affairs Office (PVAO) has asked Congress for P1.9 billion in additional funding for 2016 so it could increase the monthly pension received by senior war veterans from the present P5,000 to P20,000.

At the budget briefing of the Department of National Defense and attached agencies in the House of Representatives, PVAO administrator Ernesto Carolina said there has been “a general feeling” among veterans organizations pushing for a pension hike that they are being neglected since their pensions have not increased since 1994.

“With the increasing cost of commodities, [their] monthly benefit could hardly provide for their daily basic needs, including maintenance medicines,” he said.

The Department of Budget and Management has allocated a budget of P10.4 billion for PVAO to pay the pension due to war veterans.

Carolina said that most World War 2 veterans are primarily dependent on their old age pension of P5,000 and total administrative disability of pension of P1,700.

Data from the PVAO show that by 2016, there will only be a total of 15,595 surviving post-World War 2 veterans 70 years old and above.

Carolina made the request for a bigger pension budget as he expressed hope that Congress will soon pass House Bill 2367, which will increase the monthly pension of senior war veterans to P20,000.

The measure has been approved at the committee level in the House.

“[The inclusion of additional funding] in the 2016 budget is proposed in anticipation of the [bill’s] passage due to its urgent nature… The additional amount of P1.9 billion is required for the implementation of the law in its first year, and eventually will diminish over time as the number of war veterans also decrease,” he said.

For 2016, Carolina said PVAO plans to turn over a new leaf and make delayed pension claims a thing of the past as it aims to pay the full regular pension accorded to veterans on or before the end of the corresponding pension month.

“The timely payment of pension is a demonstration of the country’s appreciation and gratitude for the service of veterans,” he said.

By PVAO’s estimates, around 174,000 pensioners will benefit with the timely payment of their pensions, while 9,350 will get to enjoy the other benefits due them on time.

http://www.gmanetwork.com/news/story/536122/news/nation/pvao-wants-to-increase-war-veterans-pension-to-p20-000