US to decide on war vets' claims next month
The United States government will start deciding on claims for benefits of Filipino World War II veterans by April, US Ambassador Kristie Kenney said on Monday.
Kenney said the adjudication of claims will start around the end of next month and those who filed their applications will be sent notices on whether their claims were accepted or not.
Around 23,000 veterans have applied for claims under the recently passed American Recovery and Reinvestment Act since last month, according to Kenney.
The law provides for the official recognition of services rendered by Filipino World War II veterans to the US government and the release of a lump-sum payment to eligible veterans.
The US Department of Veterans Affairs will pay around US $198 million to around 18,000 who will each receive a one-time payment of $9,000 or $15,000 (for veterans who are US citizens).
Kenney said they expect more applications to come in.
“There are still 11 more months to go. So I'm sure we'll get many many more. I hope we will,” she told reporters here during a visit at the Jaro National High School where she inspected an English proficiency project of the US Peace Corps.
She said the US wants all eligible veterans to apply saying it would be a “tragedy” if they will be missed out.
The ambassador also visited Pavia town where she inspected rehabilitation efforts on communities ravaged by typhoon Frank last year.
Pavia Mayor Arcadio Gorriceta said in a telephone interview that the United States Agency for International Development (USAID) was among the first international agencies that had brought assistance to flood victims mainly non-food items including blankets and tents.
Pavia was among the worst hit in the flooding, considered the worst experienced in Western Visayas.
Kenney told reporters she was impressed with the speed of the recovery and rehabilitation.
She later visited a photo exhibit of World War II on Panay Island at the SM City mall in Mandurriao where she had a chance to met and talk with war veterans.
At the mall, the ambassador visited the American business process outsourcing company Teletech, one of the largest call centers in the country, which employs 1,600 employees in its Iloilo site alone.