Senior war veterans in the country are set to receive an increased pension with the passage of House Bill 7525. /Inquirer.net file photo
The House of Representatives has approved on its third and final reading House Bill 7525 which seeks to raise the monthly pension of senior war veterans to augment their resources and enable them to live decently and with dignity.
Voting 239 without negative votes and abstentions, the lower chamber approved the proposed measure, principally authored by Rep. Geraldine Roman, which seeks to increase the old age pension of veterans from P5,000 to P20,000.
Under the bill, the old age pension increase would cover veterans of World War II, the Korean War, and the Vietnam War, provided that the veterans of the last two wars are not receiving pension from the Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP).
If passed into law, the entitlement to the increase in old age pension would be limited to eligible living senior veterans and would not be transferable to any family member or dependent of the senior citizen.
The amount needed for the initial implementation of the pension increase would come from the current available appropriations of the Philippine Veterans Affairs Office (PVAO).