Comments on: Military Retirees – The RAO

By: Art Reyes

Art Reyes — Tue, 18 Aug 2009 03:46:26 +0000

Dave Starr’s Column was informative to militaty retirees livng in the Philippines and RAO in their part helping out with the retiree’s benefits! I too just recently acquired my military benefits and am now trying to figure my TRICARE Standard health benefits. I know Jim Boyd, the RAO director in Angeles, I’ve contacted him numerous times via online concerning military benefits. He is vary knowledgeable and helpful. I would like to see more topics concerning retired military families as how they are doing in using their benefits here in the Philippines!

Art from Sta Rosa, Laguna

By: Tom Miller

Tom Miller — Mon, 03 Aug 2009 01:27:14 +0000

sorry made a mistake on my post…its supposed to be Jim Tyler (not Jim Boyd) who took over for chester

By: Tom Miller

Tom Miller — Mon, 03 Aug 2009 00:34:25 +0000

Hello all. I am a military retiree living in Manila. There is an RAO in Manila. I dont have the phone number but its located on the corner of Roxas Blvd and Quirno on the side of the Aloha Hotel. Also i noticed that you havent updated your information. Chester Gross passed away about 8months ago and Jim Boyd has taken over for him.

By: Jim Mariano

Jim Mariano — Sun, 12 Apr 2009 07:34:21 +0000

I have been reading the blogs from most US military retirees there in the Philippines and except for a few, a lot of them are very critical about the TRICARE reimbursement system. For some special few who have turned into an Anti-TRICARE Extremist based on the specific demands from TRICARE to provide referential basis for changes in TRICARE policies.
I am also thinking strongly in moving there to retire in a few years but my thought process involves the following priorities:
1. In regards to my medical care, I am aware of the limitations of the health care system there and the gap between them and the TRICARE requirement, therefore being there “on my own” is something I already accept.
2. Preventive health care will be my focus to stay healthy as long as possible. If I end up with a difficult chronic illness such as diabtes, High BP, High Cholesterol and I don’t plan in controlling it, I will not retire there in for some live in an isolated barrio.
This is because I know complications from the chronic illnesses I mentioned will sap my savings there including my quality of life.
3. Defrauding the US gov’t by filing fraudulent medical claims is a no-no for me. I will not even think of it. There is more to life than that.

Sincerely,

Jim Mariano.

By: Lt. James "EMO" Tichacek, USN (Ret)

Lt. James "EMO" Tichacek, USN (Ret) — Fri, 20 Feb 2009 04:17:33 +0000

Dave [2/19/09]
I just ran across you site. I am the Director of RAO Baguio and editor of the twice monthly RAO Bulletin sent worldwide to over 67,000 vets. Also, the Baguio VITA and Embassy Warden. I saw we were left out of your article on Philippine RAO’s so I thought I would cut you in on ours. Below is our Mission statement. As a veteran you might want to be added to our Bulletin directory. You can check it out at the website I noted above. If so, sent me your email addee do i can asdd you to it. Also, to my PI diretory for passing Embassy Warden notices, recruiter visits, etc,
EMO

================
RAO Baguio Mission Statement: Your Retired Activities Office was established on John Hay Air Force Base in 1978 when the U.S. military establishment recognized the need to support their retirees in Baguio. It was and still is a non-funded, non-profit organization manned by volunteers who are concerned for the welfare of their fellow retirees, widows, and dependents. Upon closure of John Hay and subsequently all other bases in the Philippines a few of us decided that this service to retirees must be maintained if we were to continue to live in the area. When the base closed in 1991 we set up operations as usual in town as an Independent RAO and extended our services to all Expats and Filipino citizens. RAOs in Subic and Angeles City did likewise but remain primarily for the benefit of military retirees. Initially our organizations had no official status because all Navy RAOs are supposed to be connected and supported by U.S. military bases. However, through the efforts of the U.S. Embassy and the Subic/Angeles RAO Directors, our government eventually recognized basic services to retirees in this country were needed which DOD was unable to provide. Subic and Baguio RAO became officially recognized by the Navy as an independent RAO’s [independent because Navy policy mandates that RAOs be associated with bases of which we have none] and the Angeles RAO became a recognized Air Force office as a satellite of Hickam AFB, HI. Later the Manila RAO became recognized by the Navy and subsequently the Air Force authorized the establishment of additional satellite offices under the direction of the Retiree Activities Office Angeles to support the smaller outlying military retiree communities. This has resulted in SRAOs being located in Bicol, Cagayan De Oro, Cavite City, Cebu, Iloilo, La Union, Leyete, Laoag City, and Samar. Over the years Baguio’s assistance has expanded to cover all Americans, their dependents, and even expats from other countries on occasion. We support the tenets of the RAO program, follow the guidance of the Department of the Navy OPNAV Instruction 1720.3E, and are pledged to provide assistance to our community as follows:

~ Function as a central information center for the Baguio & La Union communities.
~ Coordinate VA & Tricare medical care in the area.
~ Provide assistance in submitting VA & Tricare claims.
~ Maintain locator files and assist in casualty reporting.
~ Assist veterans, widows, and dependents in obtaining benefits.
~ Advise users of services available via U.S. Embassy, Social Security & VA
~ Assist with pay problems which can not be resolved by the recipient
~ Provide U.S. tax assistance and forms through the VITA program
~ Coordinate blood donation program for veterans and their dependents.
~ Provide information on U.S. Embassy and Immigration requirements for newborns,
marriages, visas, and U.S. citizenship.
~ Provide or assist in obtaining U.S. Government forms
~ Assist with U.S. military recruiting
~ Interface with U.S. Embassy and other RAO’s as necessary to assist local Americans.
~ Assist in providing VA Fee-Basis Care local treatment to disabled veterans in Baguio/LaUnion
~ Assist in DEERS registration and obtaining military ID cards.
~ Coordinate FPO military and AMS civilian mail services for the area.
~ Maintain a Bulletin of veteran information.
~ Provide an answer service via email worldwide to vet queries on policy, benefits, and the RP
~ Provide Internet & FAX communication services for veterans and dependents.
~ Assist local nationals in obtaining U.S. benefits, ITIN numbers, and immigration visas.
~ Assist in Voter registration.

By: Bob

Bob — Fri, 17 Oct 2008 10:55:07 +0000

Hi Rich (but poor)- You are a US citizen for life, no matter if you ever go back or not. You don’t have to worry about that. Even if you wanted to get rid of your US citizenship, it is very hard to do.

I will let others answer your other questions, because I am not a vet, so I don’t have good information on what to say on those questions.

Good luck to you.

By: Rich (but poor)

Rich (but poor) — Fri, 17 Oct 2008 10:50:15 +0000

I NEED GUIDANCE!!! I am a 61 year old disabled vet currently receiving a VA pension and barely surviving on it here in sunny California. I met a Filipina lady and we probably will be married. I want us to reside in the Philippines. the first thing I want to know is how do vets receive their checks? Do they have direct deposit in a bank in the Philippines or do they use a bank stateside? I need ALL the ins and outs of pulling up stakes and moving there. Like how often do I have to go stateside to retain citizenship? I got a good catch-22 problem, I know that there is medical assistance for only service connected disabilities, which I have, it is for hearing, BUT while undergoing a disc replacement, VA hospital all hell broke loose, damn near died, well now I am csi outpatient. Now that is VA connected, will that fall under “service” connected? and what about my medical supplies and medications for the spinal cord injury?
If anyone can help here is my email address xxxxxxxxx I would be indebted to you.

Editors Note: Rich, I don’t publish people’s e-mail addresses in the comments. Firstly, there is no way that I can verify that this is really your e-mail (some people do nasty things like publish other’s e-mail and then they get bombed with e-mail that they don’t want. Secondly, for the benefit of others reading, it’s good to have answer’s to your questions published here. If you are wanting the answer, there could be hundreds of others who have the same questions.

By: Bob

Bob — Tue, 23 Sep 2008 03:41:45 +0000

Hi George – As far as I know, there is no RAO Office in Manila. The closest would be in Angeles. Their website is here:

http://mozcom.com/~rao_cabr/

Their phone number is (63)- 045 888 2748

By: George

George — Tue, 23 Sep 2008 03:34:24 +0000

What is the phone number and address of the Military RAO in Manila?

By: Shirley

Shirley — Thu, 15 May 2008 04:15:25 +0000

Thanks a lot for this info. This is good info since my husband is in the military. We are retiring in the next couple of years or so.

Shirley