US Senate approves Filipino veterans benefits

[Zeus]

Application deadline for Pinoy WWII vets’ US benefits lapses 5 pm

02/16/2010 | 07:50 AM



Filipino World War II veterans have until 5 p.m. Tuesday to apply for a one-time, lump-sum compensation from the United States government.

The US went another step in urging Filipino WW II veterans to apply for their compensation, posting seven versions of its announcement - six in Philippine dialects - reminding the veterans of the February 16 deadline.

Aside from the announcement - which can be downloaded as a pdf file in Filipino (Tagalog), Aklano, Cebuano, Ilonggo, Ilokano, and Pangasinense - the Embassy website featured a clock ticking down the hours left before the deadline.

On Tuesday last week, the US Embassy reminded the Filipino veterans of the deadline.

US Department of Veterans Affairs director Jon Skelly advised the them to send their applications by courier or online, and not by snail mail.

He stressed the applications must be in their hands by February 16, and that applications postmarked February 16 but received on a later date will not be accepted.

"Our laws require we receive the application by the deadline. It needs to be in our hands by the 16th of February," he said in an interview on dzBB radio last week.

Under a US law signed last year, Filipino World War II veterans are qualified to get a lump sum of $9,000 (P418,500). Filipino American veterans who live or have returned to the Philippines are entitled to $15,000 (P697,500) each.

Skelly suggested that applicants fill out the application forms online and deliver it to the US Embassy or the Philippine Veterans Affairs Office in Camp Aguinaldo.

Teams will be on standby there to accommodate the applications, he added.

Applicants can call the US Embassy at 5282500 in Metro Manila, or call it toll free at 1-800-1888-5252.

Skelly said children and widows are not eligible for the lump sum, but the widow is eligible if the veteran filed a claim before dying.

So far, he said they estimate some 18,000 veterans would be found eligible, but said only 12,600 have been found eligible so far. He said they have so far released P7 billion for the 12,600.

"Once they submitted their application they will receive a written letter from my office. They can call to follow up (and then) wait for us to respond with the final decision," he said. - LBG, GMANews.TV

Last day na ngayon Fortunately naka file na lolo ko

[eld]

Hay, kawawa naman ang Pinoy. Dikit ng dikit sa mga Kano eh hindi naman sila type.