President Ferdinand Marcos on Tuesday ordered concerned government agencies to study the existing separation benefits for disabled soldiers to ensure proper recognition for their efforts and sacrifices.
Addressing attendees at the celebration of the 82nd Anniversary of the Araw ng Kagitingan at the Mount Samat Shrine in Bataan, President Marcos highlighted the ongoing duty of the Armed Forces to safeguard the nation’s security and sovereignty.
“In recognition of their bravery and sacrifices, I am directing the Defense, Budget, and Finance Departments to study the existing separation benefits of soldiers who incurred total permanent disability in the line of duty to see if these are commensurate to their sacrifices they have made and submit their recommendation while taking stock of the national government’s position,” President Marcos said.
President Marcos also tasked the Department of National Defense (DND) and the Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) to assess the responsiveness of the current inventory of military supplies and equipment.
“We are doubling our efforts to enhance their operational capability. We must, therefore, also ensure their safety by procuring the right equipment. I therefore task the DND and AFP to assess and submit a report on the responsiveness of the current inventory of military supplies and equipment,” he said.
“These measures aim to show our unwavering support to our soldiers as they face new and growing challenges,” the chief executive stated.
The Araw ng Kagitingan commemorates the sacrifices made during the Battle of Bataan, which began after the Imperial Japanese forces attacked Pearl Harbor in Hawaii on December 8, 1941.
As of March 2024, there were 60,180 surviving Filipino veterans, categorized as either WWII veterans (990) or post-WWII veterans (59,190). In the fiscal year 2023, the government disbursed P10.2 billion to support a monthly average of 145,050 pensioners.
Editor’s Note: This is an updated article. Originally posted with the headline Marcos orders review of separation benefits for disabled soldiers