ShareThisMANILA — Filipino war veterans and their American counterparts living in the Philippines will get benefits totalling $502 million or nearly P22 billion this year.
This was disclosed by the US Department of State report which added that the benefits are provided by the US Department of Veterans Affairs (DVA) and the Social Security Administration.
“Providing government services to US and other citizens constitutes an important aspect of the bilateral relationship (between Washington and Manila), said the report of the state department’s Bureau of East Asian and Pacific Affairs, which was posted on the website of the US Embassy in Manila.
The US government is spending $125 million (about P5.47 billion) on the improvement of its facilities at the US Embassy compound in Manila, including the construction of an out-patient clinic for veterans.
“Ongoing construction of new embassy buildings should be completed by 2013 and offer a better platform for client service,” the US state department said.
Rebecca Thompson, the US Embassy spokesperson, said that “all of the veterans’ benefits that the US gives to Filipino and US veteran-residents in the Philippines will be administered out of that new building (at the American mission on Roxas Boulevard).”