THANKFUL. President Rodrigo Roa Duterte gets a briefing from Defense Secretary Delfin Lorenzana during the 80th anniversary of the Department of National Defense at Camp General Emilio Aguinaldo in Quezon City on Wednesday (Nov. 20, 2019). The DND chief thanked the President for raising the salaries and pensions of all soldiers and veterans. (Albert Alcain/Presidential Photo)
MANILA -- Defense Secretary Delfin Lorenzana expressed his gratitude to President Rodrigo Duterte for raising the salaries and pensions of all soldiers and veterans.
Lorenzana described this as an act of genuine concern on the welfare of all active-duty military personnel and veterans alike.
"The doubling of the soldier's salaries in 2018 and subsequently the veteran's pension has tremendously raised their morale and inspires them to better do their jobs," Lorenzana said in his speech at the DND's 80th founding anniversary Wednesday night.
Lorenzana said the sector who benefitted from the pay hike of the troops are the widows of officers and enlisted personnel who died a long time ago as salaries of the military at that period was quite small.
In January 2018, Duterte signed Joint Resolution No. 1 passed by the Senate and House of Representatives which effectively raised the base pay of all uniformed personnel under the DND, Department of the Interior and Local Government, Philippine Coast Guard and the National Mapping and Resource Information Authority (NAMRIA).
Aside from the salary and pension increases, Lorenzana also thanked President Duterte for giving the Veterans Medical Center a monthly subsidy of PHP50 million for medicine and another PHP50 million for the V. Luna Hospital for the same purpose. (PNA)
