Only 100 PEFTOKers Still Alive

 

 Out of the 7,420 Fil. Soldiers sent to the Korean War 

By Mortz C. Ortigoza

TAGUIG CITY, Metro Manila – Among the 7,420 - members of the Philippines Expeditionary Force to Korea (PEFTOK) sent by the national government to the East Asian country to thwart the invasion by the communist North Korea and her communist China’s ally, less than 100 veterans are still living.

 According to the PEFTOK Veterans Associations, Inc. (PVAI) President Jovena A. Damasen some of these retired soldiers who dropped by or attended an affair at the Philippines –Korean Friendship Center in Bayani Road at this city are already frail.

MINI HEARTS. South Koreans, who are members of the Peaceful Unification and Advising Council (PUAC), and some of the remaining Filipino soldiers who joined the United Nations in liberating the East Asian country during the 1950 -1953 Korean War flash with their thumb and forefinger the mini heart’s gesture. The sign was popular in South Korea. Eighteen (18) of the beholden SoKors met last May 25, 2023 in a luncheon at the Philippines –Korean Friendship Center in Bayani Road in Taguig City with the Filipino soldiers who are in their 90s and their kin.

“Makita mo naman may 100 may 97 kung minsan may 90 years old mas mahina pa (You could see a 100 or 97 years old veterans. Sometimes a 90 years old veteran is weaker than those older than him),” Damasen, a daughter of a PEFTOK member, explained to this newspaper.

The interview by this newspaper with Damasen happened after she hosted 18 members of the Peaceful Unification and Advising Council (PUAC) who met and showed their gratitude to the remaining veterans under the auspices of the United Nations who fought with gallantry to save South Korea from the occupation of the enemies. Because of the vigorous involvement of the UN particularly the military power’s United States, the East Asian nation survived and became the Top-12 in terms of the largest gross domestic product (GDP) - USD 1,646.3 billion in 2019 – in the world.

Damasen said that several months ago the representative of PUAC from their chapter in the Philippines told her that 18 Korean members wanted to meet with the PEFTOK veterans.

Out of the 100 living veterans spread across the archipelago - where most hailed from Metro Manila-, only 94 years old 2^nd BCT member retired Lt. Marcelo Cruz Ortigoza came from the far-flung M’lang, Cotabato.

“This occasion is about we had visitors this morning who made a wreath ceremony diyan sa pylon Libingan ng mga Bayani,” Damasen, the first descendant of the PEFTOKer to become President of the PVAI, disclosed to this newspaper.

FINANCIAL BENEFITS

The sources of the financial benefits to the living veterans and their descendants came from the indebted government’s Ministry of Patriots and Veterans and the Korean citizens, she cited. These financial supports are through scholarship and even the renovation of the dilapidated houses of these former nonagenarian soldiers.

PREXY. Jovena A. Damasen (extreme right, photo) in an animated conversation with 2^nd Battalion Combat Team (BCT) member retired Air Force Lt. Marcelo Cruz Ortigoza, 94, while his son Gabriel – a former military Captain and present resident of the U.S – listens. Photo shot  taken in the office of Damasen at the PEFTOK Veterans Associations, Inc. (PVAI) in Taguig City.

“Korean government pa rin tayo 200 vets ng high school and 40 na scholars (inaudible) particularly the Ministry of Patriots and Veterans. Iba pa ang private individuals kagaya ng UKAP United Korean Community Association in the Philippines they are giving yearly scholars. Once a year lang ang stipend nila. Ganoon din si Korean Veteran Association and the Lotte Foundation. Kaya lang this year wala pa sila pero last year nagbigay sila (The backbone of the scholarship like those 200 high school and others come from the Korean government particularly the Ministry of Patriots and Veterans. The other sources come from the UKAP that gives yearly a set of scholarship. They give once a year a stipend the same with Korean Veteran Association and the Lotte Foundation. However, this year they have not given a new set of scholars unlike last year)” Damasen – who is the Chair of the Scholarship Committee of the PVAI, explained.

Veteran Ortigoza said that his daughter Sadie, 54, had been a full scholar for four years while she was taking her Bachelor of Science in Nursing (BSN) at the Central Philippines University in Iloilo City in the middle of the 1980s.

“My granddaughter Jezi Alexis Ortigoza who just finished her Grade 10 has been a scholar from elementary to high school,” the grateful 95 years old member of the 2^nd Battalion Combat Team (BCT) added.

Sadie and Jezi Alexis scholarship have been funded by the Korean government and one of those private organizations mentioned by Damasen.

NONAGENARIAN members of the PEFTOK and their families listen while a retired Filipino General who saw action when he was a junior officer in the Korean War narrates on video the hardship he and his men experienced in the early 1950s war.  

STIPEND AFFECTED BY COVID-19

The amount of the stipend however has been affected when the Corona Virus Disease-19 (COVID-19) pandemic wrought havoc to the South Korean’s economy when it reared its ugly heads in year 2020.

“Iyong P20,000 naging P10, 000 na lang. Depende na rin sa capability ng ating benefactor. P20, 000 per head ngayon naging P10,000 na lang kasi ang pinangalingan niya mga negosyante na nandito sa Pilipinas - social responsibility. Ang talagang standard natin si Korean Embassy doon nangagaling kay Ministry of Patriots (The P20,000 shrank to P10,000 because the allowance depends on the capability of the benefactor. That allowances came from those South Korean businessmen in the Philippines. Their generosity is their social responsibility),” She cited.

GRANDAUGHTER OF THE VETS GET SCHOLARSHIP - AMB

In an interview with this newspaper in 2017, Korean Ambassador Kim Jae Shin told this writer that scholarship of the descendants of the Filipinos who saw action in the Korean War continue to receive their due.

 “Yes, yes your daughter might be a recipient of our scholarship,” His Excellency said in the sideline of the 43^rd PVAI Annual Convention held here in 2017.

He told the guests in that convention that even the great granddaughter of the Filipino who fought in the Korean War could be a beneficiary of the generosity of the Koreans.

KIN OF PEFTOKERS RECEIVED MORE BENEFITS THAN OTHER VETS

Damasen agreed that compared to the descendants of the veterans of the Filipino soldiers who fought and served in World War - II and the Vietnam War, the kin of the PEFTOK members have been lucky on the financial benefit from a beholden country.

“Yes! We are so privileged”.

Members of the South Koreans’ Peaceful Unification and Advising Council (PUAC) listen attentively to a retired Filipino general who saw action when he was a junior officer in the Korean War narrates on video the hardship he and his men experienced in the early 1950s war. Some PUAC members gave some speeches of gratitude to the present Filipino soldiers – who are mostly on wheelchairs – who liberated them from the clutches of the Communist North Koreans and Mainland Chinese.  

HOUSING REPAIR

Damasen disclosed that one of these Korean organizations provided P1.5 million this year for the renovation of the abode of the four impoverished veterans.

“Ni distribute ko iyan sa apat depende kung gaano ka tindi iyong pangangailangan. So hindi pantay-pantay”

Out of the 7,420 Filipino soldiers sent in the 1950 to 1953 Korean War, 116 had been killed in action (KIA), 299 wounded and 57 missing (41 repatriated during the prisoners of war (POW) exchanges). The last of the Philippines troops left Korea on 13 May 1955.

(Author – the Editor-in-Chief of Northern Watch Newspaper - is a son of a 94 years old member of the 2^nd Battalion Combat Team (BCT).)

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MORTZ C. ORTIGOZA

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I am a twenty years seasoned Op-Ed Political Writer in various newspapers and Blogger exposing government corruptions, public officials's idiocy and hypocrisies, and analyzing local and international issues. I have a master’s degree in Public Administration and professional government eligibility. I taught for a decade Political Science and Economics in universities in Metro Manila and cities of Urdaneta, Pangasinan and Dagupan. Follow me on Twitter @totoMortz or email me at totomortz@yahoo.com.