Welcome to this site. It will explain to you what this office is all about, its mandate from President Gloria Macapagal Arroyo, and the nature of its work in fulfillment of that mandate. If you still have any concerns or questions about this office after reading this presentation, you are welcome to call or visit us anytime at Rm. 102, Ground Floor, Tahanan ng Masa Building Gen. Solano cor. Rio Vista Sts. Malacanang Palace Complex San Miguel, Manila Tels. - (Manila) 7353986 (telefax) or 7353996, or . Mobile phones - 0918 499 8906 and 09205532790 email - pavaopgma@gmail.com. The OPAVA was created by President GMA on April 4, 2004, as a special office under her office. It is currently headed by Assistant Secretary Jesus Terry "Jerry" F. Adevoso, son of the late World War II Hero and veteran Eleuterio "Col. Terry Magtanggol" L. Adevoso. Jerry as been working continuously with and for war veterans and retirees since 1975, in what is a lifetime personal advocacy. Veterans Affairs is especially close to the heart of our President. She is the daughter of a World War II Veteran, the late President Diosdado Macapagal who was a guerilla finance officer in Central Luzon during the war years. The President's uncle, the late Pampanga Congressman Angel Macapagal, was a survivor-escapee of the infamous Death March from Bataan to Tarlac, after the defeat of the Filipino-American forces that made a last stand in Bataan in 1942. During the Macapagal administration (1962-65), the President by law and by decree granted many new benefits and favors to the veterans, who even then were one of the most marginalized sectors of Philippine society and bereft of any lawful substantial veterans benefits from both the USA and the Philippine governments. It is President Arroyo's intention to continue the service to war veterans that her late father commenced in a major way. The Vision of the OPAVA is to assist, protect, defend and help provide for the needs of the marginalized war veterans and military retirees sector in all lawful and reasonably possible ways. In pursuit of this mandate, the OPAVA's specific missions are: 1. provide the President and other concerned officials of the Philippine government, with regular updated information, suggestions and recommendations on the status of the veterans sector, and how government can continue to seek to uplift and work for their well-being 2. seek to fully implement all existing Philippine laws with respect to mandated veterans benefits for the secure future of war veterans, retirees and their families; and to seek new legislation from the Philippine Congress and from local government units for the benefit of war veterans and retirees, as their needs increase through the years; and whenever necessary to directly assist war veterans individually and collectively to gain the benefits they are mandated to receive 3. seek to help in the USA-based Fil-Am grassroots Congressional campaign to gain full equity veterans benefits from the US government that should have been given to Filipino and Fil-Am WWII veterans as early as 1945, but which did not materialize for the overwhelming majority of their numbers 4. if equity legislation is passed in the USA, seek to help create mechanisms in the Philippines which will readily and speedily distribute US veterans benefits to Filipino veterans all over the Philippines 5. work for the creation of a new Philippine Department of Veterans Affairs separate from the Department of National Defense, similar to the United States experience and much-felt need 6. help establish and implement policies, programs and mechanisms for the protection of war veterans and retirees from unscrupulous elements who seek to deprive them of their lawful veterans/retirement benefits 7. engage in a nation-wide tri-media campaign to keep the importance and needs of the veterans sector alive in the national consciousness 8. assist in government programs to establish, sustain and maintain all war memorials, shrines, monuments, and any and all other forms of work for the preservation of Philippine war history and truth 9. help government engage in programs aimed at assisting the war veterans and retirees' progeny such as livelihood, economic, social and cultural 10. assist veterans and retirees comply with the party-list law under which they gain non-political, cause-oriented representation in the Philippine House of Representatives, Philippine Congress 11. Help protect existing veterans' and retirees' collective assets from the clutches of those who would seek to illegally and immorally take over or confiscate these for their personal benefit 12. cooperate and coordinate with all legal government, semi-government and private veterans' and retirees' organizations to stay in touch with their changing needs and wants. The albums that follow will show and explain how the OPAVA works, and has worked, on these 12 major issues and tasks since April 1, 2004. Veterans and Retirees who need help and assistance should not hesitate to visit, call, text, fax or email this office to gain such assistance. 
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I have been remiss - there are many more to say "thank you" toEven after virtually closing this website, I am required by the forces of courtesy and decorum to add more, simply to say thank you----- 1. to those who continue to send me text messages, a few examples of which are shown below: cno at saan po... more
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 MOV0012A VFP 50th anniversary, June 18/10, Folk Arts Theater
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