I 
THIRTEENTH CONGRESS OF THE 
REPUBLIC OF THE PHILIPPINES 
First Regular Session 
S.B. No. 
3 1  
Introduced by Sen. Jinggoy Ejercito Estrada 
EXPLANATORYi NOTE 
The 1987 Constitution explicitly states the Government’s policy to “provide 
immediate and adequate care, benefits and other forms of assistance to war veterans 
and veterans of military campaigns, their surviving spouses and orphans”. This is to be 
done on order to uphold and secure the well-being of these unsung heroes who played 
significant yet unrecognized, roles in our struggle for independence of our country. 
Statutes and other measures have been issued and enacted to provide the 
mechanism that would help our very own war veterans achieve socio-economic 
security. The Philippine Veterans Affairs Office , the Veterans Memorial Medical Center 
and the Philippine Veterans Bank were established to provide for the various needs of 
these war veterans, their spouses, and/or their dependents. Republic Act No. 6948, as 
amended by RA 7696, was enacted to standardize and upgrade the benefits for military 
veterans and their dependents. 
Although these war veterans have yet to see the full benefits of the 
implementation and such laws, they still have one aspiration they would like to pursue. 
It is the claims of Filipino veterans of World War II for the full restoration of their rights, 
privileges and benefits from the United States government. 
These benefits were 
scrapped with the passage of the US Recision Act of 1946 which did not recognize 
services in the organized military forces of the Philippine Commonwealth government 
as services to the US military or naval forces. 
Hence this bill is being proposed. This measure seeks to establish and maintain 
an Office of Veterans Affairs in the Philippine Embassy in the United States of American 
government and other agencies and entities which can enhance the favorable 
consideration of the claims of Filipino war veterans. 
Since most these veterans are in their twilight years already, and diminishing in 
number, the urgent approval of this measure is earnestly sought. 
EJERCITO ESTRADA 
Senator 


THIRTEENTH CONGRESS OF THE 
REPUBLIC OF THE PHILIPPINES 
First Regular Session 
- 
S.B. No. 
Introduced by Sen. Jinggoy Ejercito Estrada 
AN ACT 
TO ESTABLISH AND MAINTAIN AN OFFICE OF VETERANS AFFAIRS IN THE 
PHILIPPINE EMBASSY IN THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA, PRESCRIBING,ITS 
FUNCTIONS, PROVIDING FUNDS THEREFOR, AND FOR OTHER PURPOSES 
Be if enacted by fhe Senate and House of Represenfatives of the Philippines in 
Congress assembled. 
SECTION I. 
Declaration of bolicy. - It is hereby declared the policy of the 
Government to pursue the claims of Filipino veterans of World War II and work for the 
full restoration of their rights, privileges and benefits from the United States government. 
SECTION 2. Establishment of an Office of Veterans Affairs. - For the 
attainment of this goal, there is hereby created an Office of Veterans Affairs in the 
Philippine Embassy in the United States of America mandated with the task of making 
formal representations, consultations and negotiations or otherwise cause the conduct 
of sustained and effective lobbying with appropriate office of the legislative and 
executive branches of the United States government and other agencies and entities 
which can enhance the favorable consideration of the claims of Filipino veterans. The 
office shall be in existence for five (5) years from the date of approval of this Act or until 
the Filipino veterans shall have availed of their legitimate claims, time of which shall not 
exceed another five (5) years. 
SECTION 3. Staffing. - The Office of Veterans Affairs shall have a staff 
consisting of a head of office appointed by the President of the Philippines, two (2) 
administrative assistants assigned by the Secretary of the Department of National 
Defense and such Republic of the Philippines as a special presidential representative 
who shall have a comparable diplomatic rank. 


SECTION 4. Appropriafions. - The amount necessary for the initial 
implementation of this Act shall be charged against the current year’s appropriations for 
the operational requirements of the Veterans Affairs Office in Washington D.C. 
authorized under the budget of the Department of Foreign Affairs. Thereafter, the 
amount necessary for the continued implementation of this Act shall be included in the 
annual General Appropriations Act. 
SECTION 5. €flecfivify. - This Act shall take effect upon its approval. 
Approved,