War veterans in Cebu dream of ‘decent’ memorial park for WWII heroes

(L to R) Rodulfo Buma-at Jr., vice president of the Central Visayas office of the Veterans Federation of the Philippines (VFP-7), Ret. Lt. Joel Trompeta, Romeo Ambut, president of the Cebu AFP Retired Veterans Association, Reggie Sabandal, head of the PVAO and Nicandro Seno, president of the Retirees Alliance of Constabulary and Police Personnels Association (RACPPA) address members of the Cebu media in a press conference held on Tuesday morning. /Zena Magto

CEBU CITY, Philippines – War veterans in Cebu look forward to having a decent burial place for heroes of the World War II.

Rodulfo Buma-at Jr., vice president of the Veteran’s Federation of the Philippines in Central Visayas (VFP-7), said that when he dies, he wanted his remains buried in an area like the Libingan ng mga Bayani in Taguig City.

“If you have been there, you can see how the Libingan nga mga Bayani is. Naay solemnity ba,” Buma-at said in a press conference held at the Bondad Hall of the  Camp Lapu-Lapu in Barangay Apas, Cebu City on Tuesday morning, April 9.

The gathering was one of the activities of the Veterans Week celebration scheduled from April 5 to 11.

Buma-at said the Cebu City Veterans Memorial Park in Barangay Labangon, that is now used as burial grounds for deceased Filipino and American war veterans, is now in a very sorry state making it an unfit burial grounds for World War II heroes.

The memorial park established in the 1950s is managed by the Veterans Federation of the Philippines. But with its lack in perimeter fence, extensions of niches from the Calamba cemetery were also placed at the veterans memorial park.

Read More: War veterans’ resting place ‘disrespected’

Buma-at said that he plans to write the Philippine Veterans Affairs Office to seek help on the establishment of an aesthetic veterans cemetery in Central Visayas.

He said that there is a military reservation lot in Camp 7 in Minglanilla town in southern Cebu that they could use for the purpose.

“Nobody pushed it maybe (that is why this was never implemented). But when I was a member of the regulations board, nasa pipeline na ‘yon,” said Retired Lieutenant Joel Trompeta of the VFP.

Meanwhile, war veterans in Cebu especially the retired soldiers will get to enjoy some government services during their ongoing celebration of the Veterans Week.

Reggie Sabandal, PVAO Central Visayas head,  said their activities include the conduct of seminars on gender sensitivity for women pensioners, meetings with partner banks, and medical check ups for their members.

“Starting gyud this year, amo gyud gipaningkamotan nga the whole week there will be a series of activities,” said Sabandal.

In the coning years, Sabandal said they plan to also involve the students in their Veterans Week celebration by organizing talks in schools to make the youth better appreciate the role of the veterans in the World War II. /dcb