CEBU CITY, Cebu, April 5 (PIA) -- The Philippine Veterans Affair Office leads in celebrating the Philippine Veterans Week (PVW) and the 81st Araw ng Kagitingan.

Under Proclamation 466, s. 1989, the country celebrates the PVW from April 5 to 11 of every year to memorialize the heroic deeds of Filipino veterans.

This year the observance was moved to April 5 to 12 due to the Holy Week celebration.

Veterans are the military forces who served during the Philippine revolution against Spain, World War I, World War II, and the Korean conflict.

Post-war veterans are military personnel from the Philippine Army, Philippine Navy, Philippine Air Force, and Philippine National Police who were former members of the Philippine Constabulary.

PVAO FSEO Cebu Head Reggie Sabandal disclosed during the Kapihan sa PIA interview that as part of the PVW celebration and 81st Araw ng Kagitingan, an activity will be held in Ayala Center Cebu on April 9. 

Sotero Librero, a 101-year-old Japan-US War Veteran, and four other veterans will be part of the activity.

Sabandal said that senior veterans, or those who served during World War II, and post-war veterans, or retirees from the Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP), are entitled to different pension and non-pension benefits.

She disclosed that veterans can avail of the Old Age Pension which is P20,000 monthly for senior veterans and P5,000 for post-war veterans and may be availed of on the 65th birthday or death of the veteran.

There is also a Disability Pension for disabled veterans who have been discharged from duty due to disease, wounds, or injuries sustained in the line of duty, the rate of which depends on the extent of disability.

The beneficiaries of deceased veterans may also receive a Death Pension worth P1,000 per month, while veterans at the age of 70 are considered totally disabled and, as such, are entitled to P1,700 monthly under the Total Administrative Disability (TAD) Pension.

Death Pension for field in action personnel who died in action can also be availed by their widow and children or if single it can be availed by the parents.

Meanwhile, non-pension benefits include educational assistance to direct descendants, burial assistance, and the VMHCP or the Veterans Memorial Medical Center (VMMC) Hospitalization and Medical Care Program. 

Each veteran is entitled to one educational benefit of not more than P40,000 per year for any four-year college course, while burial assistance of P20,000, with the Philippine Flag to drape the casket of the deceased veteran, may be availed but must be filed within two years from the veteran’s death.

Sabandal also disclosed that a new unified government ID will soon replace the expired IDs. (MYP/PIA7)