WASHINGTON – When and where can the
veterans apply for the lump sum payment?
Theoretically, applications can start upon
the signing of the economic stimulus bill by President Barack
Obama on Tuesday (Wednesday in Manila).
Veterans living in the Philippines should
apply at the US Veterans Affairs Regional Office, located at
the US Embassy in Manila. Counterparts living in the US should
go to their local Veterans Affairs office.
When will the veterans expect to start
receiving the lump sum payment?
If the veteran’s name is in the Revised
Reconstructed Guerrilla Roster (RRGR) of 1948, approval
follows, and the first payment can be made to him or her by
next month (March) or April. The official RRGR is kept in the
state of Missouri.
What is the deadline for applying for the
lump sum?
Veterans have to file their application
within one year from Feb. 17, or the enactment of the bill.
What happens if the veteran dies before his
or her application is approved?
The veteran’s surviving spouse will receive
the full amount.
Do veterans need a lawyer or representative
to apply for the lump sum?
No, because the procedure is simple and no
documents are required. Veterans need only to fill up an
application form, and wait for the result from either the
local US Veterans Affairs office, or the USVA Regional Office
in Manila.
Are all Filipino WWII veterans entitled to
the lump sum?
No. Only those whose names are listed in
the Revised Reconstructed Guerrilla Roster (RRGR) of 1948 are
qualified for the lump sum. Only 12,000 veterans in the
Philippines are qualified. Some 20,000 to 30,000
Philippine-based veterans are not entitled to the lump sum.
How will veterans know if their name is in
the RRGR?
Generally, service-connected veterans are
in the RRGR. For others, the only way to obtain a
determination is to file their application.
Who are the service-connected veterans?
Service-connected veterans sustained
combat-related injury or ailment. Both service-connected and
non-service veterans, if they’re in the RRGR, are entitled to
the benefit.
Will the current financial benefits enjoyed
by veterans be stopped if they avail themselves of the lump
sum?
No, the benefits will be retained. This
applies to the monthly P5,000 from the Philippine Veterans
Affairs Office (PVAO), as well as the US federal benefits:
Social Security benefits and the Supplemental Security Income,
a welfare benefit to low-income US citizens. Service-connected
veterans in the Philippines and the US will continue to
receive their monthly disability compensation.
What if the qualified veteran is already
dead?
No lump sum benefit is provided for
veterans who died, whether recently or several years ago, or
their widows.
Will non-service (no combat injury)
veterans still receive a pension benefit?
No. The pension benefit legislation, which the 110th
Congress nearly passed last year, is dead. The US Congress
will no longer entertain any veterans’ financial benefit
legislation. Advocates in Washington D.C., however, are
planning to lobby for a family reunification bill. Their goal:
to revive a bill in the US Congress that would allow the
over-18, married sons and daughters of Filipino WWII veterans
to be reunited with their veteran father or mother in the US,
who are in the twilight of their lives.
