A bill seeking a 300 percent increase in the monthly old-age pension of Filipino senior war veterans has been transmitted to Malacanang and is now just waiting for the signature of President Rodrigo Duterte.
In all likelihood, it will be implemented early next year, providing the more than 6,000 World War II, Korean and Vietnam War veterans a total of P20,000 monthly old-age pension. This is an increase of P15,000 to their previous P5,000 annuity.
Senator Gregorio Honasan, principal author and sponsor of Senate Bill No. 1766, known as “An Act Increasing the Monthly Old-Age Pension of Senior Veterans,” said government will spend a total of P887.94 million to grant the additional P15,000 increase to the current P5,000 monthly old-age pension as provided for under the existing RA 7696.
Both Houses of Congress decided to do away with the bicameral conference after the House of Representatives moved to adopt the Senate version and concur with its amended provisions on November 13.
“The House (of Representatives), even if they first started this (piece of legislation), decided to adopt the amendments of the Senate, practically adopting the Senate version. It will lapse into law after 30 days (from Nov.26) if the President fails to act on it,” the chair of the Senate Committee on National Defense and Security said.
“Recognizing the urgency of the said measure, we believe that the President will sign it into law. Tuwang tuwa din ako dahil I’ll be riding off into the sunset next year,” Honasan, whose term of office is set to expire in June 2019, said.
“Recognizing the urgency of the said measure, we believe that the President will sign it into law.”
The measure covers eligible living senior veterans of World War II, Korean War and the Vietnam War who are receiving their P20,000 monthly old-age pension, and those who have not been receiving pension from the Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP).
The measure will entitle the eligible living senior veterans of World War II, Korean War and Vietnam War and those who have not been receiving pension from the AFP to the P20,000 monthly old-age pension.
Under the measure, the pension increase is not transferable to any member of the veteran’s family or dependents. In the death of the senior veteran, the monthly pension of the surviving spouse remains at P5,000 a month.
“The challenge is to institutionalize this to the point that it’s almost engraved in the stone, that whoever is the president, whoever sits in Congress, will make sure that our veterans will live forever in the memory of this nation,” the seasoned legislator said.
