SECOND District Rep. Leopoldo Bataoil, chairman of House committee on veterans’ affair and welfare, vowed to continue to campaign for the approval of his bill seeking to increase the P5,000 monthly pension of war veterans to P20,000 for the medicine and other basic needs of the veterans.

He added that another bill, proposed Veterans Hospitalization and Medical Care Program, remains pending as well.

Under the proposed bill, a veteran and his dependents can avail a P1,500 per day in patient subsidy for a maximum of 45 days of hospital confinement.

Emil Samson of the Provincial Social Welfare Office cited the fast depleting number of surviving veterans due to deteriorating health.

He said only 70 plus out of the 275 surviving veterans in Pangasinan were able to attend the commemoration program due to frailness of the veterans who are already in their 90s. (The oldest is 92 years old from Concordia Bolinao, Servillano Andres, who failed to attend the program).

Meanwhile, Samson said the provincial government is giving an additional P5,000 monthly allowance to augment the veterans’ P5,000 pension to help cover the veterans expenses for medicine, food and other necessities.

Wenceslao Eugenio, 91 years old from Alcala town, said he is looking forward to the approval of Bataoil’s bill to enable him to cope with his health and food needs. He was 18 when he joined the war and presently plants rice and corn. (Nora Dominguez)

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