US starts release of $9,000 checks to veterans MT. SAMAT, Bataan?The United States has awarded a $9,000 lump sum compensation to the first batch of Filipino World War II veterans who qualified for benefits under the $787-billion stimulus package passed by the US Congress in February.
US Ambassador Kristie Kenney awarded the certificates of recognition to retired Col. Rafael Estrada and retired Brig. Gen. Felix Pestana during the 67th commemoration of the Araw ng Kagitingan yesterday at the Mt. Samat Shrine.
Defense Undersecretary for Veterans Affairs Ernesto Carolina said doctors did not allow the third awardee, 87-year-old Salvador Prinsesa, to travel from Legazpi City because he was suffering from mild pneumonia.
Prinsesa, president of the Philippine Veterans Legion, was a former intelligence officer of the guerrillas based in Bicol.
Estrada, chairman emeritus of the Armed Forces Defenders of Bataan and Corregidor Inc., and Pestana, a retired Air Force official, are both survivors of the Death March. Kenney said at least 26,000 Filipino World War II veterans had applied for the lump-sum benefits as of Friday last week.
?We are processing those applications. More notices of whether their application was approved or whether we need more information will be going out this week,? Kenney said.
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