CEBU CITY – The Philippine Veterans Affairs Office (PVAO) has announced plans to establish veterans' wards in government hospitals across Central Visayas.
Reggie Sabandal, head of PVAO in Cebu, highlighted the agency’s focus on enhancing facilities at Vicente Sotto Memorial Medical Center (VSMMC) in Cebu City and the Gov. Celestino Gallares Memorial Medical Center in Bohol.
"Our next move is to lobby VSMMC to create a memorandum of agreement (MOA) to establish a veterans’ ward within their facility. Our goal is to improve or augment the existing facilities at VSMMC, with plans for implementation in 2025," Sabandal said.
The initiative aims to bring medical services closer to veterans, reducing the need for them to travel to Metro Manila to access their benefits.
As part of the agreement, the Veterans Hospitalization and Medical Care Program will assist in upgrading the infrastructure and equipment for the veterans' ward, as a gesture of gratitude for their sacrifices.
"Veterans are those who have rendered at least six years of service in the military. Retirees who complete six years of service can apply with us at PVAO," Sabandal explained during the Kapihan sa Bagong Pilipinas forum.
As of June, records show that 12.93% of the 147,448 veterans in the country are from the Visayas, with 4,509 veterans residing in the Central Visayas Region. PVAO currently serves 30 World War II veterans—16 from Bohol, one from Dumaguete, and 13 from Cebu.
Sabandal also mentioned that PVAO-Cebu is enhancing its annual validation process for veterans' monthly pensions.
"We need veterans to update their information monthly; our field officers and staff are working diligently to ensure that pensions are not disbursed to deceased individuals," she added. (PNA)
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