“As far as this government is concerned, our veterans and their counterpart US veterans could well be dead.”
by Ducky Paredes
There has been talk that the Veterans Memorial Medical Center (VMMC) has been sold to a conglomerate that will build still another mall. This seems to be another government project that will only make Quezon City the sort of city that no one will want to live in. Right now, among the great things about QC is the fact that there are still a lot of open spaces.
Unlike many metropolitan centers, QC still breathes. It is not overcrowded; nor is it overbuilt.
The VMMC was constructed with US Government money under the provisions of US Public Law 865 of July 1, 1948 which stated that this was “to assist the Republic of the Philippines in providing medical care and treatment for veterans . . . who are in need of hospitalization for disabilities, determined by the Veterans Administration under laws which it administers to be connected with the service described in such section, the President is authorized, subject to the provisions of this Act, to furnish aid in the form of grants to the Republic of the Philippines (a) for the construction and equipping of hospitals in the Philippines to be used exclusively for such medical care and treatment and (b) for expenses incident to such medical care and treatment in either the hospital, so constructed and equipped or other hospitals in the Philippines.”
On June 7, 1949, US PL 865 was implemented by the “Agreement Between The Government Of The United States Of America And The Government Of The Republic Of The Philippines On The Construction And Equipping Of Hospital For Veterans And The Provision Of Medical Care And Treatment Of Veterans By The Government Of The Philippines, And The Furnishing Of Grants-In-Aid Thereof By The Government Of The United States Of America.”
VMMC was constructed at a cost of US$9.4 Million and inaugurated on November 20, 1955.
On February 22, 1950, then President Elpidio Quirino issued Proclamation No. 169 which withdrew ‘From sale or settlement and reserve for Veterans Hospital site purposes under the administration of the Philippine Veterans Affairs, subject to private rights, if any there be, certain parcel of land belonging to the private domain of the Government, situated in the District of Diliman, Quezon City.”
On November 22, 1982, President Marcos issued Proclamation No. 2244 entitled ‘Amending Presidential Proclamation No. 169 Dated 22 February
1950, By Transferring And Vesting Ownership Over The Land On Which The Veterans Memorial Medical Center Is Situated From The National Housing Authority To The Veterans Memorial Medical Center At No Cost.”
On May 4, 2007, President Arroyo issued Executive Order No. 620 entitled “Rationalizing And Speeding Up The Development Of The East And North
Triangles And The Veterans Memorial Area Of Quezon City, As A Well-Planned, Integrated And Environmentally Balanced Mixed-Use Development Model,” which created the Urban Triangle Development Commission (Tri Dev Commission)
EO 620 was later still amended by Executive Order No. 620-A dated September 11, 2007 and entitled “Expanding The Composition Of The Urban Triangle Development Commission And Clarifying Its Structure And Functions, Thereby Amending Executive Order No. 620, Series Of 2007;”
Under Executive Order No 620-A, The Tri Dev Commission was tasked to: “(a) cause the preparation of the Master Development Plan for the 250 hectare area of the QC-CBD for the purpose of transforming this into a well-planned, integrated and environmentally-balanced, mixed-use development;” and “(b) manage, control and direct the implementation of the master development plan.”
That is where we are at the moment. The government is poised to sell the site of the VMMC to a private developer. Will the money from the sale of VMMC fund the transfer of a veteran’s facility to another site so that this continuing needs of the Veterans of World War II and veterans of more recent conflicts? Of course not! As far as this government is concerned, our veterans and their counterpart US veterans could well be dead.
It seems odd to me that we would push for United States congressional approval of benefits for Pinoy veterans living in the U.S. even as, back home, we are selling the one veterans’ hospital that was built by the Americans for the medical needs of veterans of World War II of both our countries.
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Last Sunday, the last of my father’s siblings – Mrs. Luz Paredes-Gaston, the widow of Emilio (Litoy) Gaston died in Alabang. There were five of them – my father, Jess, who married Ester Misa, Gloria, who married my mother’s brother Guilermo Misa, Lucas (who was Lolo Hugo to the radio and TV audience of the ‘50s and 60s), Esperanza (Sol) Martinez, who died less than a year ago and Luz, our Tita Lucy.
Their father, our Lolo Jesus, was a congressman whose term was overtaken by the Second World War. Lolo Paredes was also known as the Roman Law professor. He taught the subject very well in several schools. He was also a practicing lawyer.
Our Tita Lucy was very special to all of her nephews and nieces. She was sweet and supportive but would sometimes disagree – even vehemently – with some of our views. Always, however, even when she disapproved of something that we held or did, we could always feel that genuine concern and love that a generation of children ought to expect from the previous generation of their immediate family. This was something that their generation did very well. We all felt loved and cared for almost all of the time.
Hopefully, our generation – my brother Jesse is now the eldest in my grandfather’s line — will do as well with our nephews, nieces and various grandchildren. We still have older uncles from our grandfather’s only brother – the late Justice Jose Ma. Paredes, but we have now all feel that we have been orphaned with the passing of the last of the wonderful siblings who were our uncles and aunts.
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hvp 03.31.08)
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