A veterans’ group has sought the assistance of the Department of National Defense (DND) and Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) to monitor the condition of the war heroes in the country as well as their families, a defense official said on Sunday, March 19.

DND spokesperson Arsenio Andolong said the Veterans Federation of the Philippines (VFP) led by its President, Philippine Army Col. Cesar P. Pobre (Ret.), paid a courtesy call on DND Officer in Charge (OIC) Senior Undersecretary Carlito Galvez Jr. last Friday, March 17, in Camp Aguinaldo, Quezon City to present the current initiatives of the group. A testimonial luncheon was held for the group by the DND.

During the meeting, VFP Executive Vice President Maj. Gen. Romeo Alamillo (Ret.) said the group has increased the number of their individual member veterans from 70,000 to 80,000. But this only represents 32 percent of the total number of veterans in the country, he noted.

“We are seeking the assistance of other agencies, especially the Armed Forces of the Philippines Pension and Gratuity Management Center, to assist us in the generation of a master list of AFP pensioners so we can track all of them and recruit them to join the federation,” Alamillo said.

The VFP also presented to Galvez its first ever strategic plan, corporate governance manual, as well as its organizational structure and staffing pattern to attain its objective of helping Filipino veterans.

Created in 1957, the VFP was established with a purpose dedicated to the “defense, protection, and promotion of the general welfare of all veterans, their widows, orphans, and their indigent parents, and to the preservation of the sacred memory of the war dead and the ideals for which they fought and died.”

According to Andolong, Galvez took note of the salient points of the briefing and discussions, and vowed that “the DND will make the veterans happy.”

“[W]e will continuously work on programs that can effectively address your needs, fitting your distinct status as the nation’s patriots and heroes,” Galvez said.

The visit came ahead of the country’s commemoration of the Philippine Veterans Week from April 5 to 11 in remembrance of the valor of Filipino freedom fighters, and Araw ng Kagitingan (Day of Valor) on April 9.

The following day, March 18, Galvez inspected the Veterans Memorial Medical Center (VMMC) in Quezon City to determine the current status of the health facility.

Galvez then reiterated the importance of providing top quality medical care for Filipino veterans.

“It is our duty to ensure that our veterans’ health and needs are looked after. We owe them so much for the sacrifices they made in service to our people and nation. This is the very least we can do,” he said.

Under Republic Act No. 6948 (An Act Standardizing and Upgrading the Benefits for Military Veterans and their Dependents), a veteran is any person who rendered military service in the land, sea, or air forces of the Philippines during the revolution against Spain from 1896 to 1898, the Philippine-American War from 1899 to 1902, and the World War II from 1939 to 1945.

Also recognized as veterans are “Filipino citizens who served in Allied Forces in the Philippine territory and foreign nationals who served in Philippine forces, the Korean Campaign, the Vietnam Campaign, the Anti-Dissidence Campaign, or other wars and military campaigns; or who rendered military service in the Armed Forces of the Philippines and has been honorably discharged or separated after at least six years total cumulative active service, or sooner separated due to death or disability arising from a wound or injury received or sickness or disease incurred in line of duty while in the active service.”