By Priam Nepomuceno/PNA
MANILA — The Department of National Defense (DND) thanked President Rodrigo Duterte for signing Republic Act (RA) No. 11164, which increases the monthly old age pension of World War II, Korean War, and Vietnam War veterans from PHP5,000 to PHP20,000.
“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,” Defense Secretary Delfin Lorenzana said in a statement sent to reporters on Friday night.
Duterte signed RA 11164 last December 20.
“We would thus like to thank our legislators and the national leadership for giving our senior veterans what is due them. 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,” Lorenzana said.
According to law, the pension hike is only for living veterans. This means that their family members and/or dependents are not covered by the law.
The amount for funding of the law will be provided by the Philippine Veterans Affairs Office.
The law will take effect 15 days after its publication in the Official Gazette or in at least two national newspapers of general circulation.
It was passed by the Senate as Senate Bill No. 1766 on Oct. 8, 2018 and adopted by the House of Representatives as an amendment to House Bill No. 7525 on Oct. 10, 2018.
