Defense Secretary Delfin Lorenzana welcomes the passage of a law increasing monthly old-age pension for senior Filipino war veterans.

“The Department of National Defense welcomes the passage of RA 11164 increasing the old age pension of World War II, Korean War, and Vietnam War veterans from P 5,000.00 to P20,000.00,” Lorenzana said in a statement issued on Friday night.

“The old law covering our war veterans’ pension, Republic Act No. 6948 as amended by Republic Act No. 7696, was enacted more than 20 years ago, and the amount provided is already insufficient to sustain the needs of our senior veterans,” he added.

According to the Department of National Defense, as of December 2018 there are a total of 5,284 who saw action in World War II, 33 Korean War veterans and seven Vietnam war veterans.

The copy of the law that was signed by President Rodrigo Duterte on December 20, 2018, was just released to the public last Thursday.

Under the RA 11164, veterans of Korean and Vietnam wars were qualified if they were not receiving pension from the Armed Forces of the Philippines.

It also noted “that the entitlement to the increase in old-age pension shall be limited to the eligible living senior veterans and shall not be transferable to any family members and/or dependents of the senior veterans.”

Lorenzana also expressed his gratitude for the passage of the bill stressing that its approval may encourage the new generation to follow the heroic deeds of the veterans.

“We would thus like to thank our legislators and the national leadership for giving our senior veterans what is due them,” he said.

“This is one way by which a grateful Filipino nation honors our veterans’ sacrifices and heroic deeds, thereby encouraging the Filipino youth to follow their footsteps as defenders, leaders, and patriots,” he added. Robina Asido/DMS