Complainant not on list of PVAO pensioners
Philippine Daily Inquirer
First Posted 02:53:00 03/28/2008
This has reference to the letter of a certain Leoncio Cruz who claimed to be a PVAO pensioner. (Inquirer, 3/8/08) The name Leoncio Cruz is not included in the official list of PVAO pensioners. He is not a veteran.
We also wish to inform the public that as of now, only 9 percent of our total number of pensioners (roughly 250,000) continue to receive their pension by mail, and this includes some 5 percent who are residing abroad. With our relentless effort to improve our pension delivery system, we are confident that by the month of May this year, all PVAO pensioners will be receiving their pension benefits through the BPPS.
This move--the total shift to BPPS--will result in tremendous savings. We spend about P2 million a month just for the stamps/ postage. The BPPS, which no longer requires the printing of checks, will save manhours/manpower being dedicated to printing and mailing of pension checks. More importantly, it will eliminate many opportunities for anomalies and fraud, such as pilfered and altered checks and negotiated return-to-sender checks. We will also be able to more efficiently detect and recover overpayments which are made when pensioners change addresses or when they die.
We suspect that the source of the negative publicity regarding the reforms being undertaken by the Philippine Veterans Affairs Office are those who make money from the anomalous and corrupt practices made possible by the pension mailing system. These unscrupulous few stand to lose their illegal source of income once this mailing system is completely abandoned.
The PVAO management and personnel are happy with the positive changes and reforms they have collectively accomplished and they will not be deterred by attempts to discredit or derail their achievements.
We hope that this letter clarifies issues on the reforms that the PVAO is currently instituting to improve its services, particularly the delivery of pension benefits, to our veterans.--ANA A. NACIS, chief, Office for Public and Legislative Affairs, Philippine Veterans Affairs Office, Veterans Compound, General Emilio Aguinaldo, QC
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