Prescribing Rules and Regulations to Carry into Effect the Provisions of Republic Act Numbered Six Hundred and Ten

December 23, 1953 EXECUTIVE ORDER NO. 660 PRESCRIBING RULES AND REGULATIONS TO CARRY INTO EFFECT THE PROVISIONS OF REPUBLIC ACT NUMBERED SIX HUNDRED AND TEN Pursuant to the provisions of Section 6 of Republic Act No. 610, I, ELPIDIO QUIRINO, President of the Philippines, do hereby promulgate the following rules and regulations to carry into effect the provisions of said Act. SECTION 1. General Headquarters Armed Forces of the Philippines is hereby designated to process all claims for death gratuity and disability pension under Republic Act No. 610. Payment of approved claims shall be made through the Philippines Veterans Board, which is designated as the agency in charge of payment of benefits under said Act. SECTION 2. Payment of the death gratuity provided in Section 3 of Republic Act No. 610 shall be directed by the Secretary of National Defense upon a determination by him of the line of duty and service connection of the decedent's death within the scope of said Act and after the Judge Advocate General of the Armed Forces of the Philippines shall have made a determination in each case of the person or persons entitled to receive payment of the gratuity and the amount of their respective shares therein. In making such determination, the Judge Advocate General shall be guided by the provisions of Republic Act No. 136, as amended, which are not in conflict with the provisions of Republic Act No. 610. No payment of death gratuity shall be made by the Philippine Veterans Board except as hereinabove provided. SECTION 3. A board composed of three (3) officers, at least two (2) of whom shall be medical officers to be named by the Chief of Staff is hereby created in the Armed Forces of the Philippines and placed under the administrative supervision of The Adjutant General. This board shall be a full-time body and shall be known as the "AFP Disability Rating Board." SECTION 4. All applications for disability pension shall be referred to the AFP Disability Rating Board, which shall determine the extent of the disability of the person applying for the disability pension based on the findings and recommendations of any authorized Certificate of Disability Discharge Board (CDDB) and on all clinical records and in accordance with the "Schedule for Rating Disabilities of the U.S. Veterans Administration, 1945 Edition," except for conditions as hereunder provided. A majority vote of the members of the Board shall be sufficient to sustain the rating of any individual case. SECTION 5. a. Notwithstanding the finding of apparent physical soundness at the time of separation from the service, a veteran may be considered to have service-connected pensionable disability or disabilities if he should be found to be suffering from any of the following conditions within the time limit prescribed hereunder: (1) Pulmonary tuberculosis, minimal, active within three months after discharge from the service. (2) P.T.B. moderately advanced, active within six months after discharge from the service. (3) P.T.B. far advanced, active within twelve months after discharge from the service. (4) Cerebral Hemorrhage within twelve months after discharge from the service. (5) Hansen's disease within six months after discharge from the service. (6) Chronic Nephritis within six months after discharge from the service. (7) Dementia praecox within six months after discharge from the service. (8) New growths, malignant within six months after discharge from the service. (9) Cirrhosis, portal within six months after discharge from the service. b. In support of the diagnosis above mentioned, a medical certificate, with supporting laboratory, radiological, and/or histological examinations, from any specialist of the V. Luna General Hospital, AFP, or any other competent specialist approved by The Surgeon General, AFP, will be required before a rating of disability shall be made by the AFP Disability Rating Board. SECTION 6. In amplification of Section 5, Republic Act No. 610, the following rules governing rating of disabilities will be observed: a. If and while the disability or combined disabilities is rated less than 25 per centum, no monthly pension shall be awarded. b. If and while the disability or combined disabilities is rated more than 25 per centum, but less than 40 per centum, it shall be rated 25 per centum. c. If and while the disability or combined disabilities 40 per centum or more, but less than 50 per centum, it shall be rated 50 per centum. SECTION 7. The date of effectivity of the pension that may be awarded to an applicant will be based on the conditions specified hereunder: a. For all applications filed with The Adjutant General, AFP, within one year after the applicant's separation from the service of the Armed Forces of the Philippines, the pension shall start on the day immediately following the date of discharge. b. For all applications filed with The Adjutant General, AFP, more than a year after the applicant's separation from the service of the Armed Forces of the Philippines, the pension shall start on the day the application is received by The Adjutant General's Office. SECTION 8. Findings and determinations made by the AFP Disability Rating Board on the extent of the disability of the person applying for disability pension, when approved by the Secretary of National Defense, shall be conclusive and shall serve as sufficient authority for the Philippine Veterans Board for the payment of the disability pension corresponding to the rate of the disability so determined. SECTION 9. The Philippine Veterans Board shall keep complete records of all disbursements made by virtue of the operation of Republic Act No. 610. This Executive Order supersedes Executive Order No. 484 dated November 8, 1951. DONE in the City of Manila, this 23rd day of December, in the year of Our Lord, Nineteen Hundred and Fifty-Three, and of the Independence of the Philippines, the eighth.