Cong. Bataoil To Spike WW-II Veterans Benefits

LINGAYEN, Pangasinan---Second District Representative Leopoldo N. Bataoil vowed to improve the benefits of all World War II veterans in the province together with their dependents by crafting House Bills notably to increase their monthly pensions and allow them to avail of free health care services.

HONOR -  Pangasinan Governor Amado Espino III (standing left extreme box), Second District
Congressman Leopoldo Bataoil, and Lt. Col. Ramon Antonio Bello of the Cavalry General
 Services Corps of the Philippine Army  honor the veterans who attended the celebration of the
73^rd Lingayen GulfLandings and 11^th Pangasinan Veterans’ Day  held at the Capitol Ground
 in Lingayen, Pangasinan last Tuesday.

In the celebration of the 73^rd Lingayen Gulf Landings and 11^th Pangasinan Veterans’ Day on January 9, Congressman Bataoil who was invited as guest of honor and speaker expressed deep concern on the plight of the war veterans whom he dubbed as heroes.

Cong. Bataoil who chairs the House Committee on Veteran Affairs and Welfare disclosed that a bill that aims to increase the pension of war veterans from P5,000 to P20,000 per month is slated to be taken up in the 16^thCongress.

This, he said, will compensate the various needs of the elders whose remaining days are now numbered.

Inasmuch as increasing their pension claims, Cong. Bataoil also mentioned another bill that will cause the construction of Veterans Medical Center in the provinces so that the war veterans will no longer be burdened of traveling to Manila.

As such, if the bill becomes a law in 2019 bigger hospitalization and health benefits will then be given to the war veterans and their dependents.

Stressing this, the Second District Representative said war veterans can still go to any government hospital and avail of the various health services for free.

Another program mentioned by Cong. Bataoil is the indexation of pension of retired policemen and members of the armed forces in which further studies are on-going along with coordination with concerned agencies.

Disclosing all plans and programs for the war veterans, he stated that war heroes have soft spot in his heart citing that his uncle, the late 3^rd Lt. Leopoldo De Guzman Bataoil where his name was named risked his life during the war and believed to have died in Bataan. His body, he said, is still missing up to now.

The Pangasinan Veterans’ Day, launched in 2008 by the former governor and now 5^th district Representative Amado T. Espino, Jr. to coincide with the Lingayen Gulf Landings celebration, began with a wreath-laying ceremony and a 21-gun salute honoring the veterans.

Last year, Gov. Amado “Pogi” Espino III offered to extend livelihood and educational assistance to the veterans’ families, in addition to the free hospitalization in provincial government hospitals. (Ruby R. Bernardino)