DAGUPAN CITY (PIA) – The Philippine Veterans Affairs Office (PVAO)-Field Service Extension Office (FSEO) in Pangasinan is reminding veterans in the province to update their personal information and life status this year.

Sheryl Simeon, head of PVAO in Pangasinan, said that a veteran will no longer receive his monthly pension if he fails to show up and update his information.

“Sa mga PVAO pensioners po, huwag po sanang kakalimutan ang magpa-update two or three months before your birth month. Kasi kapag hindi po kayo nagpa-validate this year, sa pagpatak ng January 2025 ay mapuputol na po ang inyong pension. We do not want that to happen,” Simeon stated.

(To PVAO pensioners, do not forget to update your life status two to three months before your birth month. Failure to comply this year will result in the discontinuation of your pension when January 2025 arrives. We do not want that to happen.)

Visit https://pvao.gov.ph/ pvao-faqs/ for information on PVAO pension requirements, validating life status, and other queries.

Simeon stressed that updating the life status of pensioners is a crucial part of their agency to monitor them closely and avoid fraudulent claims.

She said that PVAO pensioners who are unable to personally visit their office at the Capitol Compound in Lingayen town due to physical health can authorize someone to bring proof that the pensioner is still alive.

These include a photo of a pensioner holding the front page of the latest newspaper with a readable date; a completed veterans pension benefits form that can be downloaded at https://pvao.gov.ph/ downloadable-forms/; and two valid IDs.

“Dahil ang iba sa kanila ay nasa malalayong lugar o kaya ay bedridden na, nagpupunta rin kami sa mga municipalities to conduct information drive at doon na rin namin ginagawa ang pag-update ng kanilang life status,” Simeon stated.

(Since some of the beneficiaries are in faraway places or bedridden, we are also conducting information drives in municipalities and updating their life status.)

She added that the agency is taking advantage of video conferencing applications like Messenger to stay in touch with PVAO pensioners, keep their life status updated, and prevent any discrepancies.

“Sa paraang ito ay nagiging aware kami na talagang buhay pa ang beneficiary at hindi kami naloloko ng iba,” she said.

(In this way, we become aware that the beneficiary is still alive and we are not deceived by others.)

Simeon said veterans’ pension benefits include Old Age Pension, Disability Pension, Death Pension, and Total Administrative Disability Pension.

She said the Old Age Pension is a monthly stipend of P5,000 granted to a veteran who is at least 65 years old or to the surviving spouse of a deceased veteran.

Senior veterans are entitled to a monthly pension of P20,000.

Disability Pension, which ranges from P1,000 to P1,700 depending on the disability rating, is a monthly assistance granted to veterans who incurred service-connected disability, sickness, or injury.

Death Pension is a monthly assistance granted to the surviving spouse and each unmarried minor child of a veteran who died in the line of duty or due to a service-connected disability or sickness.

The beneficiaries will each receive P1,000 per month.

Total Administrative Disability Pension is a monthly pension of P1,700 granted to a veteran upon reaching the age of 70.

Further, Simeon said the non-pension benefits include Educational Benefit, Burial Assistance, and Veterans’ Hospitalization and Medical Care Program.

She said the Educational Benefit is a subsidy of up to P36,000 per year for eligible World War II veterans, Philippine Expeditionary Force to Korea (PEFTOK) or Philippine Civic Action Group (PHILCAG) veterans, their surviving spouses, or one direct descendant who is enrolled in a four or five-year baccalaureate course.

The veteran must waive their right to the subsidy in favor of the beneficiary.

Burial Assistance is payment of P20,000 to whoever defrayed the funeral expense of a deceased veteran which should be claimed within two years from the veteran’s death.

A memorial flag is also given to the family of the late veteran.

Veterans Hospitalization and Medical Program (VHMCP) is a government hospital in regions or provinces that provides subsidized medical care and hospitalization services.

To date, there are 37 World War II living veterans in the province. (JCR/AMB/JCDR/PIA Pangasinan)