World War II vets still waiting for better benefits

CORREGIDOR ISLAND, Philippines—Antero Dila is 93 years old and his dreams of better benefits as a World War II veteran remain nothing but a dream.

Dila, District President of 4th Laguna Veterans District, gets P6,700 every month—P5,000 for his pension and P1,700 for his disability pay. However, most of his money goes to medicines.

He said the P1,700 additional total disability pay that started in 2013 had been a great help but it’s still not enough.

“Sana maging P20,000. Talagang kulang lalo na sa gamot (I hope it will increase to P20,000. The amount we receive is insufficient because most of it goes to medicines),” he said on Thursday at the Tribute to Heroes held on this island, which played an important role during the invasion from the Japanese forces.

While he is grateful for what he is getting now, Dila said he was not satisfied with the efforts of the administration led by President Benigno Aquino III for their higher pension.

A bill in Congress has been proposed to increase the pension of the World War II veterans, said Philippine Veterans Affairs Office Undersecretary Ernesto Carolina.

“It seeks to increase the old age pension of war veterans from P5,000 to P20,000. It’s now with the Committee on Appropriations but they ran out of time at the end of the year because of more interesting issues like the [Bangsamoro Basic Law]. But the House Committee of Veterans Affairs promised that it’s next on the agenda kasi P1.1 billion lang ang kelangan (because only P1.1 billion is needed),” he said in a separate interview with reporters.

READ: War vets’ pension to rise to P20,000

Carolina said that there are about 10,000 living war veterans and 300 of them die on average every month.

“Very supportive ang Congress na ibibigay yun habang buhay pa sila,” he said.

(The Congress is very supportive that it will be given while they are alive.)

Carolina explained that the oldest living veteran today is 106 years old and the youngest is 87. “From that 87 years na group kung may mabubuhay pa until 100 plus pero konti na lang siguro. Yung more than 100 years na veteran ngayon is less than 10.”

(From that 87 years group, there would be a few number who will reach 100 years old or more. There are only less than 10 veterans now aged older than 100 years.)

READ: List of living World War II vets growing shorter per day

Soon: Veterans hospital in Mindanao

Carolina said they also have efforts to build hospitals for the veterans and their dependents in Luzon, Visayas and Mindanao despite the accredited hospitals in provinces.

“If you will visit the Veterans Hospital Medical Center in Quezon City malaki na ang improvement (there has been a significant improvement). There is also a pending bill that would establish additional veterans hospital in QC. There’s also a plan to build one in Visayas, Mindanao and Northern Luzon,” he said.

Mindanao would come first as 10-hectare lot was donated by Phividec Industrial Estate. It is about 35 minutes from Cagayan de Oro City, Misamis Oriental and has a fund of P650 million for the infrastructure of a 250-bed hospital. RAM