National Federation of Filipino American Associations

For our Filipino World War II Veterans:

Here are the related entries on this website. The information you are looking for could be there.

Where you can find the Claim Form and the Frequently Asked Questions - Click on Feb. 23, 2009: Filipino Veterans Equity Compensation Fund - Form 21-4138(CF), Statement in Support of Claim

The first press releases:

Click on Feb. 19, 2009: Update on Filipino WWII Veterans Benefits from the US Embassy in Manila

Click on Feb. 20, 2009: Updates for Filipino American WWII Veterans’ Lump Sum Benefits

The End of the Rescission Act - Click on Feb. 18, 2009 in San Francisco: Candlelight Rally To Commemorate The 63th Anniversary Of The Rescission Act

PRESS RELEASE

Philippine Consulate General
447 Sutter St., San Francisco, CA 94108
415-433-6666 ext. 313 (Public Information Section)
www.philippineconsulate-sf.org

12 March 2009

The US Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) recently announced that it is now accepting claims by WWII Filipino Veterans for cash payment under the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act 2009 in various locations in Manila. Claims must be submitted by 16 February 2010.

VA and the Embassy of the United States in Manila have provided locations in the Philippines where Veterans can apply immediately. The list has been posted at http://manila.usembassy.gov.

To receive information by mail, United States residents may call 1-800-827-1000. Philippine residents may call 632-528-2500 (within Metro Manila) or from outside Manila at 1-800-1888-5252. In addition, Filipino Veterans may request information via email at https://iris.va.gov.

The VA Regional Office in Manila will process all claims for this benefit. Therefore, US residents should mail the application to the Department of Veterans Affairs, Regional Office, PSC 501, FPO AP 96515-100.

VA also announced that payments do not affect other benefits Veterans may be receiving.

From Baylan Megino:

Today the voters can truly vote “in absentia” for the upcoming Philippine Presidential elections. Register at the nearest Philippine Consulate once, and you may vote by mail ever after. For the Philippine Election 2010, voter registration began February 1, 2009 and will end August 31, 2009.

** Bring your Certification of Dual Citizenship **

• If you are a Dual Citizen, register to vote by bringing your Philippine passport and your Certified Order of Approval or Oath of Allegiance.
• If you came to the US as a Visitor and overstayed, you still are a Filipino Citizen. Renew your Passport and register to vote.
• If you immigrated to the US prior to the 1991 Immigration Reform Act and you became a naturalized US citizen, to be a Dual Citizen you will reacquire your Philippine citizenship by applying for a Philippine Passport. Once a Dual Citizen, you may register to vote.

NOTE: You cannot register to vote if:
1) you lost and did not reacquire your Filipino citizenship;
2) you have a criminal conviction punishable by imprisonment of not less than a year; or
3) you are legally declared insane or incompetent of mind.

FOR MORE INFORMATION:
Joe Robles at JRobles1281@yahoo.com
Ben Menor at BMenor@SBCGlobal.net
Rodel Rodis Law Offices (415) 334-7800
NaFFAAR8.com or FPACC.com.

The Voter Registration Drive is presented in conjunction with
the Federation of Philippine American Chambers of Commerce and
the Philippine Consulate Offices in San Francisco.

THE REQUIREMENTS FOR DUAL CITIZENSHIP ARE FOUND HERE. CONTINUE READING, PLEASE!

(more…)

From Rudy Asercion, Commissioner of the American Legion War Memorial Commission (he is also our NaFFAA Region 8 City and County chair for San Francisco):

Colleagues:

Veterans applying for the benefit must provide the information requested on the attached VA Form 21-4138(CF), Statement in Support of Claim (Filipino Veterans Equity Compensation Fund). We will finalize and post this information to the Internet as soon as possible. The Manila VA Regional Office will process all claims for this benefit. Therefore, veterans should mail the completed information to:

(From the United States):
U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs
Manila Regional Office
PSC 501
FPO AP 96515-1100

Vets may also submit their forms to VA Regional Offices in the US. They will forward the claim to Manila.

Attached is a copy of the form and Answers to Frequently asked Questions.

All the best as always,

Rudy Asercion

PS: This $198 million payment is neither compensation or pension. While the law established entitlement we need additional legislation to get money into our Fund. I met with Congressman Darrel Issa at the GOP convention in Sacramento last week end and he is introducing the additional legislation this week. He estimated that the funds will be at the VA in six weeks more or less.

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Filipino American WWII Veterans Equity Compensation Fund - FAQs as of Feb. 23, 2009

Filipino Veterans Equity Compensation Fund - Statement in Support of Claim CF

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Thank you to Eric Lachica of the American Coalition for Filipino Veterans, Inc. for this update that he posted at the Filipino American Network yahoo group.

This press release came from the US Department of Veterans Affairs:

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
February 20, 2009

WASHINGTON – Secretary of Veterans Affairs Eric K. Shinseki announced a new benefit for Filipino Veterans who aided American troops in World War II — a cash payment authorized through the newly enacted American Recovery and Reinvestment Act.

Claims are now being accepted from Filipino Veterans eligible for one-time payments of $9,000 for non-U.S. citizens and $15,000 for Filipino Veterans with U.S. citizenship. The Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) is working to begin making payments as soon as possible.

VA and the Embassy of the United States in Manila have announced locations in the Philippines where Veterans can apply immediately. The list has been posted at http://manila.usembassy.gov. To receive information by mail, United States residents may call 1-800-827-1000. Philippine residents may call 632-528-2500 (within Metro Manila) or from outside Manila at 1-800-888-5252. In addition, Filipino Veterans may request information via email at https://iris.va.gov.

The VA Regional Office in Manila will process all claims for this benefit. Therefore, U.S. residents should mail the application to the Department of Veterans Affairs, Regional Office, PSC 501, FPO AP 96515-100.

Extensive outreach is planned to alert World War II Veterans throughout the Philippines. Claims must be submitted by Feb. 16, 2010, a year after the bill’s signing.

The payments do not affect other benefits Veterans may be receiving. The VA regional office in Manila currently provides approximately $15 million monthly in monetary benefits to Veterans residing in the Philippines. About $8 million of this goes to Filipino World War II Veterans or their survivors each month.

As of today, February 19, 2009, NaFFAA Region 8 has not received any updates regarding how Filipino American World War II veterans can file their claims and get their benefits. In the meantime, we have the press release from the US Embassy in Manila.

President Barack Obama signed into law on February 17, 2009, the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009, which includes among the many provisions, an additional U.S. benefit to eligible Filipino World War II veterans. The new law recognizes the service of Filipino WWII veterans as active military service in the Armed Forces for purposes of this law. It authorizes one-time lump-sum payments to all eligible Filipino WW II veterans. Those veterans with U.S. citizenship will receive a one-time lump-sum payment of $15,000. Non-U.S. citizens will receive a one-time lump-sum payment of $9,000.

Continue reading at the Embassy of the United States in Manila website.

For further information on how to submit a claim [Click here] and for frequently asked questions [Click here.]

For more information on the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009 [Click here.]

Please click on the title below (in blue ink) so you can share this news release to your family and friends (such as facebook, twitter, or your other bookmarks), send the document directly to your e-mail distribution list, add to your favorites, embed the code to your website or blog, download the PDF file, and other options at Scribd.com.

I was reading the blog entry of my sister, Noemi Dado, about Barack Obama being elected as the 44th President of the United States. She had included a quick and easy primer for her Filipino readers about the electoral process, titled: “Electing a US President in Plain English.” During her visit last month, Philippines-based Noemi had grappled with understanding US elections since she was only familiar with the mechanics of the “popular vote.”

Lorna Dietz
Regional Vice Chair, Region 8