In the News
SEC. GAZMIN INDUCTS VFP OFFICERS
Urges VFP to Work for All Veterans
Defense Secretary Voltaire T. Gazmin encouraged the newly-elected officers of the Veterans Federation of the Philippines (VFP) officers "to make VFP work for all veterans" during their oath-taking and courtesy call last January 18, 2012 at the EDSA Lounge, 3rd flr., DND Building.
As a public corporation of veterans created pursuant to Republic Act 2640, VFP is direct supervision and control of the Secretary of National Defense. It was primarily established to represent and to defend the interest of all Filipino veterans, to coordinate the efforts of various veterans on behalf of the interests of their respective members; to promote mutual help among former comrades-in-arms; to perpetuate their common experiences in war; to undertake acts of charity and relief work, to preserve peace and order; to foster love of country and things Filipino and inculcate individual civic consciousness and to uphold and defend the democratic way of life as envisioned in the Constitution.
Sec. Gazmin also reminded the elected officers of the VFP to always keep in mind the provision in Section 4 of RA 2640 which states that, "In general, the Federation shall exist solely for purposes of a benevolent character, and not for pecuniary profit of its members."
He likewise recognized the vigorous participation and full cooperation of its members in events and activities that commemorate and promote veterans’ heroic deeds and legacies.
The VFP National Officers, who were elected during the 66th Regular Meeting of the VFP Supreme Council last November 20, 2011 are as follows:
President Emmanuel de Ocampo Executive Vice President Francisco T. San Miguel Vice President for Charter Organizations Arnulfo D. Banez Vice President for Affiliate Organization Cesar P. Pobre Regional Vice President, NCR Orestes F. Lopez Regional Vice President, Region I Marcelino M. dela Cruz Regional Vice President, Region II Melosino L. Respicio Regional Vice President, Region III Felix M. Miguel Sr. Regional Vice President, Region IV Sancho A. Tamayo Regional Vice President, Region V Lope D. Rili Sr. Regional Vice President, Region VI Antonio Q. Collado Regional Vice President, Region VII Democrito T. Mendoza Regional Vice President, Region VIII Raymundo H. Padua Regional Vice President, Region IX Leandro T. Pacio Regional Vice President, Region X Albertino C. Macas Regional Vice President, Region XI Isaias A. Pacudan Regional Vice President, Region XII Ramon P. Miranda Regional Vice President, Region XIII Andres V. Atega Regional Vice President, CAR Gualterio P. Adalim Also present during the call were Usec. Honorio Azcueta, Undersecretary for Defense Affairs; Usec. Eduardo G. Batac, Undersecretary for Civil, Veterans, and Reserve Affairs (USCVRA), and LtGen. Ernesto G. Carolina AFP (Ret.), PVAO Administrator.
ASEAN Veteran Leaders Exchange Best Practices at VECONAC Meeting
Leaders of veterans organizations from Indonesia, Malaysia, Brunei Darussalam, Philippines, Singapore, Thailand, Vietnam, Cambodia, Laos, and Myanmar exchanged best practices on veterans affairs management in Bali, Indonesia for the 24th Executive Board Meeting of the Veterans Confederation of the ASEAN Countries (VECONAC) last September 25-28, 2011.
VECONAC, an organization of veterans from South East Asia, aims to unify and strengthen the collective efforts of veteran organizations in the region to serve the interest of veterans, including the disabled and war victims. This is done by maintaining a strong alliance among member-countries through open dialogues and country reports that facilitate exchange of ideas and best practices among the countries' respective veterans organizations.
PVAO Administrator Ernesto G. Carolina headed the Philippine delegation, which was represented by Veterans Federation of the Philippines (VFP) officials namely: Atty. Melosino L. Respicio, RVP for Region II; Mr. Felix Miguel, RVP for Region II; and Mr. Leandro T. Pacio Jr, RVP for Region IX.
Upon his return, the PVAO Administrator said that he brought back with him a wealth of experience and best practices generously shared by his counterparts from the participating countries.
Veterans organizations from Laos, Brunei Darussalam, Vietnam, and Thailand have led in the strengthening of the veterans' household economy by supporting the agriculture and livestock activities of veterans based on their local conditions and national potential. All countries have also taken a key role in allocation of land for agriculture production and construction of houses for war veterans who do not have any permanent shelter. The government of Thailand, in fact, carries out their projects according to the assistance guideline mentioned in the Royal Speech: "Help veterans so they can help themselves;" thus, they have provided training course and financial assistance to agricultural projects, such as coffee plantation, mushroom farming, organic fertilizer production, and machinery repair for veterans and ex-servicemen.
For its part, the Indonesian government advances the welfare of their veterans by consistently improving its Veterans Act which now includes 75% discount of property tax, 30% fare discount by state-owned transportation agencies, improved health care benefits in the government hospital for the veterans and the inclusion of personnel who served in Peacekeeping Operations of the United Nations in the ranks of veterans.
Singaporean veterans, meanwhile, consider it their main goal to foster a closer link between the active and the ex-regular servicemen. Members of the SAFVL regularly go back to camps and share their experiences with the younger members of the SAF.
The 2012 VECONAC General Assembly will be held in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia.
Pro-Filipino WWII Veterans Bills Get US Congress Support
Four bills intended to benefit Filipino World War II veterans and their families get support from members of both Houses of the United States Congress.
These bills include Senate Resolution 1141 - A Bill to exempt children of certain Filipino World War II veterans from the numerical limitations on immigrant visas and for other purposes; House Resolution 2115 - Filipino Veterans of World War II Family Reunification Act - A Bill to exempt children of certain Filipino World War II veterans from the numerical limitations on immigrant visas; House Resolution 2116 - Filipino Veterans Family Reunification Act of 2011 - A Bill to Exempt Children of Certain Filipino World War II veterans from the numerical limitations on immigrant visas and for other purposes; House Resolution210 - Filipino Veterans Act of 2011 - A Bill to amend Title 38, United States Code, to deem certain service in the organized military forces of the Government of the Commonwealth of the Philippines and the Philippine Scouts to have been active service for purposes of benefits under programs administered by the Secretary of Veterans Affairs.
Among the US legislators who conveyed support the above bills from the Upper House are Senators Daniel K. Innouye (D-HI) & Robert Menendez (D-NJ), while the veterans' allies in the Lower House include Reps. Jackie Speier (D-CA); Bob Filner (D-CA), Mazie K. Hirono (D-HI); Steve Austria (R-OH7); Judy Chu (D-CA32); Michael Honda (D-CA15); Eni Faleomaga (AS); Colleen Hanabusa (D-HI1); and Rep. Jim McDermott (D-WA7).
The first three bills were referred to the Committee on the Judiciary as these pertain to immigration while H.R. 210 was referred to the Veterans Committee.
PVAO Wows CHR Chair Etta Rosales with its IDAP & GAD Initiatives
Hon. Loretta Ann "Etta" Pargas-Rosales, Chairperson of the Commission on Human Rights of the Philippines (CHRP), lauded the Philippine Veterans Affairs Office for advancing dynamic Gender and Development (GAD) initiatives and implementing its Integrity Development Action Plan that produced tangible benefits for veterans and their beneficiaries.
This was during a flag ceremony at the PVAO Covered Court on December 5, 2011, which is one of the highlights of the agency's participation in the 18-Day Campaign to End Violence Against Women (VAW) from November 25 - December 12, 2011.
Addressing the men and women of PVAO, Chairperson Rosales imparted her knowledge and expertise on women's rights and anti-Violence Against Women (VAW) policies.
Chairperson Rosales, former Representative of the AKBAYAN Citizens' Action Party List from 1998-2007, also served as Chairperson of the Committee on Human Rights in the House of Representatives.
She marked that discrimination and violence against women, aside from overt physical manifestations, also happen in emotional and financial aspects. She also added that sensitivity with women's needs and individuality is the key to putting an end to all forms of abuses against women. Moreover, she said that although violence can happen to women of any age, class looks and economic background, the childern are also more vulnerable to various forms of violence, noting that most abuses start at home.
After the program, Chairperson Rosales joined the members of the PVAO Executive Committee for an agency briefing wherein she congratulated PVAO for its successful implementation of the Integrity Development Action Plan (IDAP). This paved the way to the forging of partnership between PVAO and CHR, not only in terms of GAD-related advocacies and initiatives, but also on the realization of Integrity Development Campaign in government agencies. She even invited the PVAO Administrator to present PVAO's success story on the 3rd Integrity and Human Rights Conference on December 14, 2011 which the Administrator gladly accepted.
House Committee Conducts Hearing on RA 2460 Implementation
Rep. Herminia B. Roman (1st Dist., Bataan), Chairperson of the House Committee on Veterans Affairs and Welfare of the Fifteenth Congress presided the 6th Regular Meeting of the Sub-Committee overseeing the implementation of RA 2460 last October 12, 2011 at the AFPCOC Patio, Camp Aguinaldo, Quezon City.
The meeting that was attended by VFP officials, leaders of the veterans organizations chartered under the VFP and DND Undersecretary Eduardo G. Batac of the Civil, Veterans, and Reserve Affairs aims to oversee the implementation of RA 2640 or "An Act to Create a Public Corporation to be known as the Veterans Federation of the Philippines, Defining Its Powers, and for Other Purposes," under the direct supervision and audit of the Secretary of National Defense (SND) as affirmed by the ruling of the Supreme Court.
Implementing the decision of the High Court, Defense Sec. Voltaire T. Gazmin previously issued DND Department Circular No. 10 which provides for the "Strict Implementation of the Provisions of Republic Act No. 2640" and ordered the VFP to function as a government-owned and controlled corporation, amend its constitution and by-laws and conduct an inventory of all its assets, bank accounts, fees charged, and potential sources of revenues. The SND likewise upheld firmly that the VFP should function as an umbrella organization of veterans organizations, not a separate organization, through which the State should channel its benefits for the proper management and equal distribution among the veterans and their families.
Adopting the "to-do-list" presented by LtGen. Ernesto G. Carolina, Administrator of the Philippine Veterans Affairs Office (PVAO), the legislators sought from the Veterans Federation of the Philippines (VFP) a Constitution & By-Laws approved by the SND that will serve as the basis in implementing RA 2640.
Realizing the urgency of the situation, the House Committee then created a Task Force that will finalize the VFP Constitution and By-Laws for the approval of the SND. It will consider the provisions and inputs of other veterans organizations to ensure that the terms in the said constitution and by-laws will give equal rights and benefits to all veterans regardless of their organizations and address the present realities. The Task Force will be composed of representatives from each of the 17 organizations chartered under the VFP. Rep. Mandanas has been designated Task Force Chairman to be assisted by Administrator Carolina as Co-Chairman.
"It will also be a good venue for us to review the definition of a 'veteran,'" Rep. Rodolfo Biazon of Lone District of Muntinlupa, said. With the increasing number of AFP retirees and the dwindling numbers of WWII veterans, PVAO Administrator Ernesto Carolina likewise noted that the finalization of the VFP Constitution and By-Laws will prove to be most prudent.
Members of the committee who joined the meeting were Reps. Rodolfo G. Biazon (Lone Dist., Muntinlupa), Rep. Hermilando Mandanas (2nd Dist, Batangas) and Rep. Ma. Theresa Bonoan-David (4th Dist., Manila).
Tarlaquenos benefit from PVAO-FILVETS Medical Outreach
Over 250 veterans and their legal dependents from the province of Tarlac benefited from the joint PVAO-FILVETS Medical & Dental Mission held in Camp Aquino, Tarlac last November 29, 2011.
In partnership with other veterans organizations such as KAMPILAN Peacekeepers Association, Inc. & AGFO Foundation, Inc. headed by Gen. Raul Urgello and Rotary Club of Pasay - MIA, the said medical mission was also able to give out five wheelchairs to deserving recipients.
PVAO Administrator Ernesto Carolina and some officials and employees were also present to address the concerns and queries of veterans regarding their benefits and pensions.
Central Luzon Veterans-Leaders Take Oath
Officers of the Philippine Veterans Legion (PVL) - Central Luzon Chapter took their oath-of-office before LtGen. Ernesto G. Carolina, Administrator of the Philippine Veterans Affairs Office (PVAO), last November 26, 2011 in Cabanatuan, Nueva Ecija.
"For the first time, an Undersecretary of National Defense traveled all the way here to Cabanatuan to visit the veterans," remarked Mr. Romeo B. Taruc, son of the late political leader, veteran Luis Taruc and President of the HUKBALAHAP Veterans Association (HUKVETS).
"Parang hindi kami naulila. Para kaming mga anak na hindi pinabayaan. Naging napakainit ng inyong pagtanggap sa amin nung kami'y bumisita sa inyo noon sa PVAO. And the fact that you are here shows that you are truly interested in the affairs and welfare of the veterans," continued the young Taruc.
HUKVETS is an affiliated organization of the PVL that is under the leadership of Prof. Teodoro P. Calica, the National Commander.
Administrator Carolina, in his remarks, rallied for unity among the veterans. "Dahil sa ating pagkakaisa, naroon ang ating lakas. Ngunit mahirap magkaisa kung hindi tayo organisado. Kaya dapat na ayusin natin ang ating hanay. Lahat ng beterano ay pantay-pantay. Kung tutuusin, tayo ay pinag-uugnay lamang ng isang bagay: mahal natin ang ating bayan."
After his remarks, the PVAO Administrator also led in the distribution of wheelchairs and adjustable walking canes to qualified recipients.
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