Ailing Filipino war veterans now scattered across the United States have second thoughts of going home and spend the rest of their lives in their home country.
Reason? Most of them are still waiting for the approval of the Filipino Veterans Equity Bill (House Resolution No. 760) which is still pending in the U.S. Congress. Pending its enactment into law, these concerned veterans, most of them are already in their twilight years, cannot enjoy the medical benefits and pensions that they get from the federal government if they are in the Philippines.
Authored by Rep. Bob Filner (D-California), HR 760 seeks to expand the benefits for Filipino veterans who served during World War II. If approved, the bill is expected to provide up to US$90 million a year to some 18,000 surviving Filipino war veterans.
And there seems to be a silver line in the horizon that this bill will be passed in the US Congress. In fact, House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D, California) already gave her assurance for the bill to be given priority by the House of Representatives so that the surviving Filipino veterans may be able to enjoy the benefits that they are supposed to get.
At the moment, most of the surviving Filipino war veterans in America are getting social security pensions and free medical benefits from the federal government. However, they are praying that one of these days, Congress will finally approve the bill so that they can go home, taking with them the same benefits and pensions that they enjoy in America, to the Philippines.
According to some of them, they cannot at this point in time pack their bags because they are only expected to receive at least 75 percent of their monthly SSI once they are already in the Philippines. And that there is assurance that the sickly veterans would be accorded free medical benefits once they are hospitalized in the Philippines.
Another thing that they are hoping to be approved the Family Reunification Bill, which will give dependents of Filipino veterans and their families to come over to America, under a special immigrant visa category.
"This would be a big help to us because our children can come over and work in America and support their families, too," some of the veterans said.