PRESIDENT Rodrigo Duterte vowed Sunday that his administration will give priority to the entitlements of war veterans as he led the commemoration of the 75th Araw ng Kagitingan in Bataan.
“I assure our veterans [and] their families that we are prioritizing your entitlements,” Duterte said in his speech at the Mt. Samat National Shrine on Sunday, April 9.
The President instructed the Department of Budget and Management and the Department of National Defense to expedite the release of the Armed Forces of the Philippines retirees’ pension credentials from 2008 to 2013 in the amount of P6.42 billion.
The government has settled the backlog in disability pensions and made the management of almost 200,000 pension accounts more efficient, the President said.
In addition, veterans with conditions and their dependents can be assured of free health care at the Veterans Memorial Medical Center and 152 veterans-accredited hospitals, Duterte said. He also said he has instructed the hospitals to further improve their services and accessibility.
On top of this, the government has subsidized the education of more than 2,500 dependents of war veterans under the Iskolar ng Bayan program, Duterte said.
“These entitlements do not compare to the sacrifices that you have made. But we want you to know, our nation and our people are grateful to you for what you have done and we will do better,” he said.
“No matter what we do, we can never do enough to repay you. But I would like for you to know that your government is doing much, much more,” he added.
The President then urged the younger generation to recognize the sacrifices of war veterans and treat them with much respect and a deep sense of gratitude.
“We must never forget that we owe them a deep debt of gratitude. We owe them our life,” he said.
“Our surviving veterans have suffered much. They should not suffer more. In the twilight of their years, they deserve a better life,” said Duterte.
Before the speech, Duterte, Ambassador of Japan to the Philippines Kazuhide Ishikawa, and Charge d’ Affaires of the United States Michael Klecheski offered a wreath at the Dambana ng Kagitingan in honor of the fallen soldiers of the World War II.
“Let Araw ng Kagitingan remind us all that Filipinos are capable of tremendous feats of heroism. Let this monument be a beacon for all to be brave in the midst of challenges and uncertainties. Let today be an occasion to reaffirm our vow: We will never waver in our efforts to secure what is best for the greatest common good of our nation,” Duterte said.
“This is the sacrifice for our generation. This is our burden to bear. This we have to take on so we can say: We deserve the ultimate sacrifice paid in [our] name and our nation’s posterity,” said Duterte.
