HEROES' CEMETERY. Retired Army 2nd Lt. Rodulfo Buma-at Jr. (left, standing), vice president of Veterans Federation of the Philippines in Central Visayas, speaks during the media forum in line with the Philippine Veterans' Week and commemoration of the 77th Araw ng Kagitingan at the Bondad Hall of Central Command in Camp Lapu-Lapu, Cebu City, April 9, 2019. Also in the photo are (from left to right) Retired Army 2nd Lt. Joel Trumpeta, retired Lt. Col. Romeo Ambut, Philippine Veterans Affairs Office-Central Visayas head Reggie Sabandal, and retired Police Chief Insp. Nicandro Seno. (Photo by John Rey Saavedra)
CEBU CITY -- Veterans and retirees in military service on Tuesday said they are poised to convince President Rodrigo R. Duterte to establish two more “Libingan ng mga Bayani” (heroes’ cemeteries) -- one in the Visayas and another in Mindanao.
Retired Army 2Lt. Joel Trumpeta, former Sergeant Major of the Armed Forces of the Philippines and head of the Spearhead Division Veterans Association, said creating a Libingan ng mga Bayani in the Visayas and Mindanao will give equal opportunity to the soldiers in these regions, who had honorably served the country to be buried “as heroes.”
Trumpeta said his group will initiate a position paper to be submitted to the President for his consideration.
He said he will lead other veterans in Central Visayas in pushing for the creation of two separate heroes’ cemeteries outside Manila.
“Why is Libingan ng mga Bayani in Manila only? Wa diay tay right ani? Mangadto pa ta’g Manila aron magpalubong ta sa Fort Bonifacio? (Don’t we have right to be buried there? Do we need to go to Fort Bonifacio just to be buried there?),” he asked during the media forum in line with the Philippine Veterans’ Week celebration at the Bondad Hall of the Central Command in Camp Lapu-Lapu, this city.
He lamented that despite the stellar accomplishments of retired soldiers, they were not given much importance.
“Parang after our retirement wala nang nag-asikaso sa atin (It seems that after our retirement no one takes care of us anymore). Almost everybody forgets us,” he stressed. “Kapag nag-retire na tayo, nagiging third-class citizens tayo (When we retire, we become third-class citizens).”
He also noted that veterans were given lesser priority in military burial rites.
“When a veteran dies, only reservists were sent to give them burial honors,” he lamented.
Reggie Sabandal, head of the Philippine Veterans Affairs Office (PVAO) in Central Visayas, said Cebu City has maintained a Heroes’ Memorial Cemetery in the “Sementerio Municipal” in Barangay Labangon, this city.
He said veterans have been conducting their sunrise and sunset ceremonies during the opening of Veterans’ Week celebration on April 5 of every year.
Retired Army 2Lt. Rodulfo Buma-at Jr., vice president of Veterans Federation of the Philippines (VFP) in Central Visayas, said the heroes’ memorial park in Labangon has been fenced to emphasize its use as resting place for retirees and veterans in Cebu.
The Libingan ng mga Bayani is a national cemetery within the Fort Bonifacio (formerly Fort William McKinley) complex in Western Bicutan, Taguig.
It was established in May 1947 as a fitting resting place for Filipino military personnel - from privates to generals - who served during World War II, and eventually became designated as the official place of burial for deceased Philippine presidents, national heroes, patriots, national artists and national scientists.
http://www.pna.gov.ph/articles/1066875
CEBU CITY -- Veterans and retirees in military service on Tuesday said they are poised to convince President Rodrigo R. Duterte to establish two more “Libingan ng mga Bayani” (heroes’ cemeteries) -- one in the Visayas and another in Mindanao.
Retired Army 2Lt. Joel Trumpeta, former Sergeant Major of the Armed Forces of the Philippines and head of the Spearhead Division Veterans Association, said creating a Libingan ng mga Bayani in the Visayas and Mindanao will give equal opportunity to the soldiers in these regions, who had honorably served the country to be buried “as heroes.”
Trumpeta said his group will initiate a position paper to be submitted to the President for his consideration.
He said he will lead other veterans in Central Visayas in pushing for the creation of two separate heroes’ cemeteries outside Manila.
“Why is Libingan ng mga Bayani in Manila only? Wa diay tay right ani? Mangadto pa ta’g Manila aron magpalubong ta sa Fort Bonifacio? (Don’t we have right to be buried there? Do we need to go to Fort Bonifacio just to be buried there?),” he asked during the media forum in line with the Philippine Veterans’ Week celebration at the Bondad Hall of the Central Command in Camp Lapu-Lapu, this city.
He lamented that despite the stellar accomplishments of retired soldiers, they were not given much importance.
“Parang after our retirement wala nang nag-asikaso sa atin (It seems that after our retirement no one takes care of us anymore). Almost everybody forgets us,” he stressed. “Kapag nag-retire na tayo, nagiging third-class citizens tayo (When we retire, we become third-class citizens).”
He also noted that veterans were given lesser priority in military burial rites.
“When a veteran dies, only reservists were sent to give them burial honors,” he lamented.
Reggie Sabandal, head of the Philippine Veterans Affairs Office (PVAO) in Central Visayas, said Cebu City has maintained a Heroes’ Memorial Cemetery in the “Sementerio Municipal” in Barangay Labangon, this city.
He said veterans have been conducting their sunrise and sunset ceremonies during the opening of Veterans’ Week celebration on April 5 of every year.
Retired Army 2Lt. Rodulfo Buma-at Jr., vice president of Veterans Federation of the Philippines (VFP) in Central Visayas, said the heroes’ memorial park in Labangon has been fenced to emphasize its use as resting place for retirees and veterans in Cebu.
The Libingan ng mga Bayani is a national cemetery within the Fort Bonifacio (formerly Fort William McKinley) complex in Western Bicutan, Taguig.
It was established in May 1947 as a fitting resting place for Filipino military personnel - from privates to generals - who served during World War II, and eventually became designated as the official place of burial for deceased Philippine presidents, national heroes, patriots, national artists and national scientists.
http://www.pna.gov.ph/articles/1066875
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