While President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo and government officials are praising the approval of the U.S. stimulus bill that grants benefits to Filipino World War II veterans, some of the veterans themselves are unhappy with the compensation package.

Retired Col. Jose Opinaldo, who put his life on the line and fought alongside American forces against the Japanese, said that instead of one-time lump sums, what they need are lifetime pensions.

Opinaldo, now stricken with Parkinsons disease, a degenerative brain disorder that impairs movement, is one of the many Filipino war veterans who stands to receive $9,000 or about P434,000 from the United States government.

The benefits package is part of the $787-billion U.S. Stimulus Bill or the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009, approved by the U.S. Congress on February 13.

Section 10-02 of the Stimulus Bill, which recognizes the military service of Filipino veterans, grants a lump-sum of $15,000 (or about P705,000) for U.S. based veterans and $9,000 for those living in the Philippines.

Filemon Mordeno, a Filipino WWII veteran based in the U.S. says, “I am not decided to receive that $15,000.”

Strengthens ties

Meanwhile, Foreign Affairs Secretary Alberto Romulo welcomed the provision for Filipino war veterans in the U.S. Stimulus Bill, saying that “the passage of the bill further cements and strengthens the foundations of [the Philippines’] deep and historic partnership [with the United States].”

In a press statement, Romulo said, “I share the profound sense of joy that our nation and especially our Filipino World War Two veterans feel with the passage in the US Congress of a law that recognizes their military service and grants them the benefits that they so truly deserve.”

The Stimulus Bill provision, however, does not cover families of war veterans who have died. Beatrice Ballaes, a widow of a Filipino WWII veteran, is one of many who cannot receive benefits. “Eh papano ba ‘yun, mga patay na aming asawa… Bakit ganun?” she said.

Filipino veteran advocate Rudy Asercion, said, “After this bill is passed, we are going to sit down with the Fil-Am community and all the advocates and we’re going to talk about the best way and the best method to advance the cause of their widows.”

Out of 200,000 Filipino soldiers who served with American forces in the WWII, only 18,000 are still alive today. These war veterans say they are prepared to fight for what they deserve because no small amount of money can measure what they did to safeguard American and Filipino freedom. -- with a report from ANC