Filipino Veterans’ 17 Benefits Update

Filipino veterans of World War II have been given access to 17 benefits since the war ended.

Several community organizations, such as the National Alliance for Filipino Veterans  Equity (NAFVE) and the Veterans Equity Center (VEC), are dedicated to ensuring availability and access to veterans equity and benefits.

However, full education and simple resources are not easy to find.

Most recently I found that while Congress was considering the different equity proposals, the Congressional Research Service (CRS) issued a report dated February 20, 2009 entitled, “Overview of Filipino Veterans’ Benefits.”

This report details the history of legislation,  the thinking behind each piece of legislation and funding, and any requirements or adjustments. Most importantly, “Table 1. Filipino Veterans and Survivors, Eligibility for VA Benefits” is a good visual that lists the 16 benefits in existence prior to the passage of the Equity bill. The full report can be downloaded at http://opencrs.com/document/RL33876/

When you add the Equity Compensation agreed in 2009, the total benefits that have been made available to Filipino WWII veterans now stands at 17 (eligibility depends on the branch of service):

1.  Compensation for service-connected disability

2.  Dependency and Indemnity Compensation / DIC (survivors)

3.  Medical care

4.  Education benefits (expired)

5.  Education benefits for children

6.  Pension for nonservice-connection disability

7.  Death pension (survivors)

8.  Burial allowance

9.  Burial flag

10. Burial in a national cemetary

11. Clothing allowance

12. Guaranteed housing loans

13. Small business loans

14. Veterans Employment Training Service (VETS)

15. Adaptive housing grants

16. Adaptive vehicle grants

17. Equity Compensation

I’ve recreated Table 1 from CRS RL33876, which indicates eligibility for each branch of service, and includes footnotes:

022009 CRS RL33876 Table 1 Overview of Filipino Veterans Benefits

I hope this special information series of blogposts has been helpful for you as our veterans finish their twilight years.

I will continue to post more information as it becomes available.

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