On February 17, 2009, the President signed the American Recovery and Reinvestment
Act of 2009 (ARRA). Section 1002 of the ARRA established the FVECF to issue one-time
payments to eligible Filipino veterans who aided American troops during World War
II. To receive the one-time payment, an eligible veteran must file an application
with the United States Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) within one-year of enactment
(02/17/09 through 02/16/10) of the ARRA. A surviving spouse may receive the FVECF
payment if the eligible veteran filed for it but did not receive the payment prior
to death. Filipino veterans who are citizens of the United States (U.S.) are eligible
for a one-time payment of $15,000, and veterans who are non-citizens are eligible
for a one-time payment of $9,000.