Defense Secretary meets veterans leaders

Defense Secretary Norberto B. Gonzales, Jr. joined the leaders and senior members of veterans organizations at a meeting at AFPCOC in Camp Aguinaldo, Quezon City on January 13, 2010. The gathering, which was his first official engagement with the veterans, gave the newly appointed Secretary the opportunity to interact with the veterans and address matters affecting the Filipino Veterans Community.

Secretary Gonzales, expressed his concern about the veterans’ welfare, particularly on the matter of health care and hospitalization benefits. Aware of the present situation wherein there is only one veterans hospital in the country, the Secretary announced his intention to work for the building of additional hospitals, at least one for the Visayas and another for Mindanao, where many veterans who need medical attention are residing.

He said the problem of having only one veterans hospital, the Veterans Memorial Medical Center located in Quezon City, needs to be addressed. He invited his audience to work with the department in coming up with a legislative measure that will authorize the construction of additional veterans hospitals and appropriating funds thereof for the purpose.

The Defense Secretary also committed to extend help to the medical outreach programs in far-flung provinces being undertaken by the Filipino War Veterans Foundation, Inc. (FILVETS).

Further, he instructed Defense Undersecretary and Philippine Veterans Affairs Office (PVAO) Administrator Ernesto G. Carolina to schedule a subsequent sit-down meeting with the leaders of veterans organizations to discuss issues concerning the benefits and services due them.

The Defense Secretary, likewise, encouraged the veterans to make the coming celebration of the Araw ng Kagitingan, which President Gloria Macapagal Arroyo leads every year, special and more meaningful, this being the last of the present administration.

RA 2640 mandates the Defense Department through the PVAO to attend to veterans affairs. The meeting between the Secretary and the veterans gave PVAO the opportunity to lay out the plans for 2010 including the celebration of Veterans Week and Araw ng Kagitingan, and to give an update on the implementation of the Filipino Veterans Equity Compensation, the newly passed Military Service Board Act, and the current legislative initiatives the office is undertaking to upgrade veterans benefits and services.