March RSL Monthly Newsletter

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Angeles City Sub Branch Philippines www.rslangelescity.com ‘Lest We Forget’ President Vice Presidents Secretary Treasurer

James Curtis-Smith Greg Mann Bob Barnes Dallas Drake Ron Parrott

Editor

Larry Smith

Email address’:

Clubhouse: Ponderosa Hotel president@rslangelescity.com

secretary@rslangelescity.com treasurer@rslangelescity.com

editor@rslangelescity.com

NEWSLETTER # 60 ** MARCH 2012 PRESIDENTS REPORT March 2012 At the Annual General Meeting held on the 21 st February last the following members were duly elected as Executive and Committee of the Sub Branch for 2012.

President ; James Curtis-Smith Vice Presidents: Bob Barnes and Greg Mann Secretary: Dallas Drake Treasurer: Ron Parrott Committee: Mal Morris, Steve Fletcher, Graeme Ross, Greg Harbutt, Lindsay Drury, Ross Bothwell.

I wish to thank these members for standing for the Committee and look forward to a successful year ahead.

At our first meeting in March, we were visited by the Consul General (Mr. Graeme Tinney) and the Principal Migration Officer (Mr. Frank Lodge) of the Australian Embassy at Manila. Both officers were informative and a lively question and answer session then followed. My thanks to the Embassy for arranging the visit.

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Our monthly Children’s Medical Mission at Barangay Amsic on 3 March was again well attended by children from that Barangay (992 children) and the many nurses from the Colleges of Nursing at Holy Angel University and Angeles University Foundation University. In addition we were well supported by the WAGS and our members. A week later, and at the request of the Holy Angel University, some of our members attended to dispense medicines and assist the University in arrangements to conduct the College of Nursing own Medical Mission as part of the curriculum of the students.

The mission was at Barangay San Ildelfonso, Magalang and 762 children attended. A very busy month with two missions, but we do have a break as the next scheduled date for our missions falls on Easter Saturday 7th April and the committee have cancelled the mission for April. The next mission will be held on Saturday 5th May, and details will be published well before that date. I should make special mention of the Ponderosa Hotel who make their jeepney available at each mission for the transportation of members, wags and nurses, to and from the missions. Many thanks.

Our next big event will be our annual commemoration of ANZAC Day to be held on Wednesday, 25th April at the Clark War Cemetery and later at the Swagman Hotel. The commemoration service will commence at 7.00am and I cordially invite all interested persons to attend.

JAMES E. CURTIS-SMITH President

ADMINISTRATIVE MATTERS WE warmly welcome the following new members to our sub branch: Malcolm Collins (QLD) * Angela Collins (QLD) * Joannes Peeters (Batangas Phils) * Mark Dixon (A/C) * Derek Loughlin (A/C) * Dean Lynn (Oregon USA) * Colin Hokin (NSW) * Tim Randall (A/C) * Darren Turnbull (Doha Qatar) * Peter Lees (NSW) * Jon Rimmer (A/C) * Michael Bedford (Cavite Phils) * Paul Conlon (A/C) * Ian Cummins (A/C) * WELCOME back to: David Donney (A/C) *

MEMBERSHIP FEES Members, it is now March and there are a lot of you who have not yet paid this year’s subscriptions and are therefore now OVERDUE. We cannot run our not for profit organisation without membership dues. Unfortunately, those who have not paid by end of April will be struck off our roll.

ALL who have paid should now have their cards. If you do not have your card, then we have made an error OR YOU HAVE NOT PAID THIS YEARS SUBSCRIPTION. If you have paid and not received your card please contact Secretary Dallas for corrective action.

Please attend to this as we do not like losing members through non-payment for annual dues.

A notice on how to pay is shown as the last page to this newsletter.

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RSL EVENTS SCHEDULE FOR APRIL 2012 Weekly Raffle NOW EVERY Wednesday at Emotions Nite  Club at 6.00 PM.

Phillies Sports & Grill Raffle every Saturday at 6.00 PM.  Tuesday 3RD APRIL 2012 * General Committee 1.30pm * 4.00pm PARADISE * RHAPSODY*LA BAMBA Tuesday 10Th APRIL * 2.00PM Ponderosa * Social Tuesday 3.00pm * THERAPIST * BLIND BEGGAR * SILLY HAT

Saturday 14th April * FRA ZAMBALES CHILI COOK-OFF Tuesday 17TH APRIL * Monthly General Meeting 2.00pm Ponderosa * 4.00pm T&A * Just My Luck * Foxy Tuesday 24Th APRIL * 2.00PM Social Tuesday Ponderosa * 4.00PM Garfields * Drill Shack * Perimeter

ANZAC DAY APRIL 25 * 0700 hrs CLARK CEMETERY MEMORIAL SERVICE * 0745 hrs GUNFIRE BREAKFAST SWAGMAN NARRA (poppies for sale at Clark service area) ANOTHER RSL WHEELCHAIR DONATION  Greg Mann delivers a much needed wheelchair.

Samantha Torres Culiarga will have her 8th birthday this coming March 22nd. For the last 6 years her parents have had to carry her wherever she has gone.

At age 2 Samantha fell off of a wooden push cart and landed on her head and neck. After her required brain surgery she was left without the use of her legs, arms and speech.

Her caring mother and father have stood by her and raised her in a very small home. They have had no means to improve her life.

They along with the leadership and friends within her community of AMSEC have shared their deep appreciation to the RSL for our kindness to the entire barangay for our medical mission there and this life changing wheelchair gift to the Culliarga family.

It was wonderful seeing Samantha's Mom smile so happily when she saw her daughter riding back to their home in her new RSL donated wheelchair. We thank Barangay Captain, Gerom Costales, for allowing us to help. (story by Greg Mann)

4 AUSTRALIAN WAR MEMORIAL IS LOOK FOR……..

I am an Assistant Curator at the Australian War Memorial, and I am attempting to locate a 2RAR veteran of the Vietnam War. We have an item which has been passed to us by a third party which he may be interested in.

The man in question is named Simon Paul Whitehead. Service number 2782503.

Simon served with 2RAR from May 1967 until June 1968.

I would be grateful for any assistance your associations are able to provide.

Kind regards David Gist Assistant Curator Military Heraldry & Technology Australian War Memorial Ph: (02) 6243 4494 If anyone can help David out please contact him on the above Canberra number. Ed

PHOTOGRAPHIC REQUEST If anyone looks at our website (http://www.rslangelescity.com ) and clicks on the IMAGE GALLERY, you will find that it is devoid of photographs of recent events, eg, Australia Day Fiesta, Lingayan memorial, two recent medical missions and the extra one mentioned in the Presidents report.

This can be corrected if members who attended these activities and took photo’s, donate them to our secretary or post them direct to our webmaster, Gerald Slide. They can then be posted onto our website.

REMINDER This newsletter is number 60. We publish 12 newsletters per year so that means we have been producing an information distribution media now for five (5) years.

The newsletter can be accessed by going to our website, or by registering with our secretary to receive notification that the newsletter has been posted and access it through that notification.

Since we started the newsletter, we introduced our website, then, this progressed onto a BLOG then to FACEBOOK. The blog was introduced to provide a more timely notification of events than the monthly newsletter and is a very well received medium.

Facebook provides our sub branch the means to post anything and it allows members to post things as well, upload/download articles, pictures, messages, feedback etc.

You can access these media by going to: a. Newsletter http://www.rslangelescity.com b. Blog blog.rslangelescity.com c. Facebook http://www.facebook.com/rslacity I suggest that members look at our facebook and see what has been changed for the better, plenty of pics and video’s plus comments.

So really, there is no reason for any member to miss out on information provided by our sub branch. Ed

5 WHAT’S IN THE PIPELINE Our webmaster Gerald Slide is in the process of producing a completely new website including an exciting masthead and also our facebook gets a revamp. We anticipate end of May for a view of the new design.

Once he has completed that, I have asked him to look at redesigning the masthead for our newsletter, and later on, maybe even change the format.

EDITOR’S NOTE The April newsletter will be the last that I will be compiling in the Philippines for quite some time. My family and I are moving back to Australia to live, departing on 12 April 2012.

But that doesn’t mean that the newsletter won’t be published every month, on time, due to the marvellous invention of the computer and the internet. We will visit the Philippines from time to time and no doubt future newsletters will be compiled here whilst on holiday. Cheerio. Larry

SOMETHING FOR YOUR DIARY Col . B. J. Smith VFW Post 9892 National Hwy, Paringao, Bauang, La Union 2501, Philippines

Tel: (072) 607-6660 – Email: vfw9892@yahoo.com.ph Beginning in 2008, VFW Post 9892 became aware that the very first Asian, and first Filipino, recipient of the Medal of Honor, Private Jose B. Nisperos, hailed from San Fernando City, La Union. In keeping with our Congressionally directed mandate to "perpetuate the memory and history of our dead…" VFW Post 9892 set in motion efforts to find and honor his resting place.

Almost one year ago, post member JD Keller (American Legion China Post 1 Commander), found contact on Facebook with one of the grandchildren, Maridhel Turzar, of the object of our search. Subsequent meetings with the family, physically finding the actual unmarked grave, and motions to improve and honor his remains, are finally coming to fruition.

The City of San Fernando government recently approved a plan for construction of an appropriate monument, in a highly visible area of the same Lingsat Cemetery for his Re-Internment. The planned date for the services and actual Re-Internment are now set for April 2, 2012, at 0900 hours.

As equally caring Comrades, associates and friends, you are hereby invited to attend and grace this ceremony to finally properly honor this highly deserving veteran. Help us to give this deserving veteran a worthy ceremony by counting yourselves among those in attendance. All attending in uniform should be in garrison cap, barong, slacks and shoes. Wives, families are invited also.

There will be a reception and snacks provided by the City government after the completion of the honor ceremonies. All are invited to remain and visit with the family and dignitaries present. (The U.S. Ambassador Harry Thomas is among the invited.)

For catering purposes, request advise your attendance and numbers to the contact details shown above.

Yours in Comradeship, and Cheers, Frank B. Hilliard IV Commander

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Veterans’ Access Network The Veterans’ Affairs Network and Veterans’ Service Centre will now be known collectively as the Veterans’ Access Network, or VAN. The DVA general enquiry telephone service — 133 254 (for metropolitan callers) or 1800 555 254 (for non-metropolitan callers) — is now a national service that has expanded into a number of DVA offices where Veterans’ Affairs Network services are provided. This has allowed the Department to combine various functions and offer increased options for all clients to engage with DVA in person and on the telephone. Therefore, it makes a lot of sense to give DVA’s enquiry service one easy name: Veterans’ Access Network.

The VAN acronym is well known throughout the veteran community, so hopefully this change won’t create any confusion.

To find your nearest VAN office visit the DVA website. www.dva.gov.au

Household assistance for a Clean Energy Future The Australian Government’s price on carbon takes effect on 1 July 2012.

From mid-June 2012, around 350,000 members of the veteran community will receive assistance through the Household Assistance Package for the impact on the cost of living of the carbon price.

The Household Assistance Package will provide financial assistance to households through increases in pensions, allowances and family payments, as well as income tax cuts.

Information on the range of payments available under the package is now available on the DVA website, www.dva.gov.au

70th anniversary commemorative mission to Singapore Six veterans of the Second World War travelled back to Malaysia and Singapore to remember their service, and those who fell 70 years ago during the fall of Singapore.

The mission party took part in commemorative services at wartime locations including Gemas and Parit Sulong in Malaysia and Changi in Singapore. An Australian memorial service was held at Kranji War Cemetery on 15 February—70 years to the day when Allied forces laid down their arms and Singapore fell to the Japanese.

The Malayan Campaign, which ended with the fall of Singapore, lasted just 68 days from 8 December 1941 to 15 February 1942.

Following the surrender of the Allied forces to the Japanese, an unprecedented 15,000 Australians became Prisoners of War (POW).

Sadly, close to 8000 Australians lost their lives at camps including Changi and Sandakan, while others perished working on the ThaiBurma Railway.

For more information on the mission, background on the Malayan Campaign and the fall of Singapore or photographs from the mission visit the DVA website, www.dva.gov.au

7 Travelling to Gallipoli or France for Anzac Day this year?

It’s important to come prepared for this once-in-a-lifetime experience.

Register to receive helpful information and tips on what to expect, what to bring and other useful updates including important travel information for 25 April 2012.

Registration is optional and people can still attend the commemorations if they have not registered.

For more information visit the DVA website, www.dva.gov.au

Veterans’ Pharmaceutical Reimbursement Scheme

This is a new scheme concerning the Repatriation Pharmaceutical Benefit Scheme (RPBS) which is a completely new concept. A Dept of Veterans Affairs FACT SHEET (HSV 132) detailing the new scheme is located at the end of this newsletter. Veterans who use this scheme should read it carefully.

AUSTRALIA REMEMBERS THE ATTACK ON BROOME The Minister for Veterans’ Affairs, Warren Snowdon, has called on all Australians to reflect on the 70th anniversary of the bombing of Broome.

“Just 12 days after the first bombs fell on Darwin, Japanese fighters turned their focus to the west, attacking the harbour and airfield,” Mr Snowdon said.

At least 80 people were killed in the attack, the majority of whom were Dutch refugees fleeing the Japanese advance through what was then the Netherlands East Indies (Indonesia).

“The Dutch refugees were onboard flying boats which were attacked and sunk in Roebuck Bay, where they remain to this day,” Mr Snowdon said.

“Also killed were US servicemen whose aircraft, carrying 33 passengers and crew, was shot down by Japanese fighters.”

“As a nation, we should all pay tribute to the veterans, survivors and people of Broome, who stood together in the face of enemy attacks, showing great courage and strength.”

Australia’s north suffered 97 bombing raids by the Japanese during the Second World War, from Broome, Wyndham, Port Hedland and Derby in the west, to Townsville and Cape York in the east.

BLOOD REGISTER IN Last month’s newsletter we called for continuing donations for credit to our Sub Branch. Below is a chart showing compatible blood types: This chart indicated which are and which are not compatible.

When donating, or withdrawing, it is best to see Liza or Sir Alvi at the AUF Hospital Red Cross Dept.

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Further information can be obtained from: Jim Curtis-Smith 0917 503 2602 Lindsay Drury 0921 601 0966 (he is in Australia until June) It is important for us to get as many credits up as we can as the more credits we have the better position we are in when it comes to retrieving blood.

A reliable blood supply is most important to those RSL members living in the Philippines.

Close to the end of this newsletter is a detailed procedure on donating and retrieving ďƒŠďƒŠďƒŠ

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Honouring our war legends IT'S an incredible tale of valour and sacrifice that deserves to be honoured by generations of Tasmanians.

Almost 900 of the state's finest young men left our shores with Tasmania's 2nd/40th Australian Imperial Force Battalion in World War II, with 264 never to return.

The men endured hellholes after being captured by the Japanese in West Timor on February 23, 1942, with one in four perishing on the infamous Burma railway or while being transported on death ships to Japan.

The deaths are estimated to have affected one in 10 Tasmanian families.

Yet, amazingly, 70 years later, there is no memorial in Hobart to record Tasmania's greatest wartime loss.

This an injustice Rod Stone, son of now deceased PoW survivor Ernie Stone, is fighting to rectify.

Mr Stone says he cannot believe there is no memorial in Tasmania's capital. A rose garden planted by Launceston City Council before a planned Anzac Day commemoration this year is the only tribute to Corporal Ernie Stone and his mates.

MEMORIES: Ron Cassidy, left, and Fred Brett, members of the 2nd 40th battalion. Picture: ROSS MARSDEN 

Veterans Ron Cassidy, 91, of Launceston, and Fred Brett, 87, of Shearwater, are two of just 16 living survivors of the 2nd/40th.

"They had given us half an hour to decide if we would surrender. 'If you don't, the bombers will be up,' they told us" Mr Cassidy, then an army truck driver, said.

The commander of the ill-equipped and vastly outnumbered Australians, Lieutenant Colonel William Leggatt, had no option but to surrender.

"The Japs were that excited that they forgot to notify their air force. The bombers came anyway," Mr Cassidy said.

The Australians and the Japanese soldiers, who had marched up to take them prisoner, were hit.

The day before Mr Brett had taken part in a bayonet charge at Usau Ridge.

The men recalled their Sparrow force had taken on 900 Japanese paratroopers and killed all but 65.

With 23,000 Japanese soldiers coming up behind, their leaders chose a PoW's life ahead of death.

After three months imprisoned in Java, they moved to Singapore where they were staged in tents for about 10 days on the edge of Changi Prison.

Next stop was the infamous Burma-Thailand railway, where thousands of PoWs were worked to death.

"The railway was 10 times worse than Changi," Mr Cassidy said.

He and Mr Brett were shifted from camp to camp, including Tiger Valley and Hellfire pass, as disposable labour working 16 hours a day on starvation rations.

"All we had was rice and a watery soup and the Japs' dogs and cats," he said.

The Australians expected a beating from the guards, at least once a day.

Mr Brett said his burning desire to return home might partly explain why he didn't drop dead from cholera, while others did.

"Cholera . . . you are all sleeping, and you wake up and half-a-dozen are dead," he said.

Mr Cassidy said it never occurred to him he might die. Both men ended up on a troop ship in Singapore, bound for Japan.

"They were putting one a day over the side," Mr Cassidy said.

In Japan, they worked in a coal mine and zinc works and were just 15km from Nagasaki when the atomic bomb went off.

10 Mr Brett was one of five Australian POWs who last March accepted an apology from then Japanese Foreign Minister Seiji Maehara for mistreatment.

Mr Cassidy, 91, now regularly drives himself to Longford for a game of golf. He lives alone in Youngtown. Last week, he invited Mr Brett, 87, who lives in a nursing home, to stay at his place for a few days. Ron did the cooking. It was their first chance to have a long talk.

NB. Story sourced from the Tasmania Mercury Newspaper 20Feb 2012

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AUATRALIAN WAR MEMORIALS (a continuing series)

The Australian War Memorial London is a war memorial to the 102,000 Australian dead of the First and Second World Wars at Hyde Park Corner in London, at the southernmost corner of the traffic island around the Wellington Arch, at the junction of Grosvenor Place and Wellington Place.

The memorial is a semicircular curved wall of grey-green Western Australian granite (Verde Laguna granite from Jerramungup WA), with the names of 47 battles in which Australia was involved and the names of 23,844 towns in which the soldiers were born carved into it, with water running down over the names. The memorial was designed

by Tonkin Zulaikha Greer Architects and the artist Janet Laurence.[1] The memorial was unveiled on 11 November (Armistice Day) 2003 by Queen Elizabeth II in her role as Queen of Australia, Tony Blair as Prime Minister of the United Kingdom and John Howard as Prime Minister of Australia.

3,000 were present at the unveiling, including 25 Australian veterans and the ceremony ended with a flypast of Jaguars from No. 54 Squadron RAF.

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A LOOK INTO OUR PAST (The Whitlam Government Dismissal) Edward Gough Whitlam, AC, QC (born 11 July 1916), known as Gough Whitlam the 21st Prime Minister of Australia. Whitlam led the Australian Labor Party (ALP) to power at the 1972 election and retained government at the 1974 election, before being dismissed by Governor-General Sir John Kerr at the climax of the 1975 Australian constitutional crisis. Whitlam remains the only Prime Minister to have his commission terminated in that manner.

Edward Gough Whitlam ďƒ˜ Whitlam entered Parliament in 1952, as an ALP member of the House of Representatives. In 1960 he was elected deputy leader of the ALP and in 1967, after party leader Arthur Calwell retired, he assumed the leadership and became Leader of the Opposition. After narrowly losing the 1969 election, Whitlam led Labor to victory at the 1972 election after 23 years of Liberal-Country Coalition government.

In his time in office, Whitlam and his government implemented a large number of new programs and policy changes, including the elimination of military conscription and criminal execution, institution of universal health care and feefree tertiary schooling (university), and the implementation of legal aid programs.

He won the 1974 election with a reduced majority. Subsequently, the Opposition, which controlled the Senate, was emboldened by government scandals and a flagging economy to challenge Whitlam. In late 1975, there was a weeks-long deadlock over the passage of appropriation bills, which was resolved by Kerr's dismissal of Whitlam and commissioning of Opposition leader Malcolm Fraser as caretaker Prime Minister. Labor lost the subsequent 1975 election in a landslide.

Whitlam resigned from the leadership after the ALP lost again at the 1977 election, and left Parliament in 1978. Over a third of a century after he left office, Whitlam continues to comment on political affairs. The circumstances of his dismissal, and the legacy of his government, remain part of Australian political discourse.

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www.beyondtheblackstump.com

DVA Factsheet HSV132 Veterans’ Pharmaceutical Reimbursement Scheme Overview This Factsheet describes who is entitled under the Veterans’ Pharmaceutical Reimbursement Scheme (VPRS) and how it will operate.

What is the Veterans’ Pharmaceutical Reimbursement Scheme?

The VPRS is a new scheme to reimburse eligible veterans out of pocket costs associated with the concessional pharmaceutical co-payment.

Who is eligible?

Veterans under the Veterans’ Entitlements Act 1986 who have a Gold Card or White Card, and are in receipt of a DVA disability pension and who have qualifying service, or veterans with equivalent status under the Military Rehabilitation and Compensation Act 2004.

What if I receive disability pension but don’t know my qualifying service status?

If you have previously applied for service pension, a DVA Commonwealth Seniors Health Card or Gold Card for veterans aged 70 or older, DVA will have already determined your qualifying service status. If you have not previously applied for any of these, you will need to apply to DVA to make a determination on your qualifying service status.

How does the Scheme work?

The VPRS will provide an annual reimbursement to eligible veterans when their total cost of concessional pharmaceutical copayments exceeds the value of the pharmaceutical allowance component of the Pension, Veterans and MRCA Supplements in a calendar year.

What is the pharmaceutical allowance?

Since September 2009 the pharmaceutical allowance has been paid as part of the Pension, Veterans or MRCA Supplements. The Pension Supplement is indexed for inflation differently to the Veterans and MRCA Supplements, and because of this the intrinsic value of the pharmaceutical allowance component will vary over time between the different supplements. Importantly, the VPRS accommodates the different indexation settings to correctly value the pharmaceutical allowance when calculating reimbursements.

What is the safety net threshold?

For the purpose of the VPRS, the Repatriation Pharmaceutical Benefits Scheme (RPBS) safety net threshold is the number of prescriptions required by a veteran (or the veteran’s family unit) before pharmaceuticals become free for the remainder of the calendar year.

13 How is the reimbursement calculated?

The reimbursement amount equals the total cost of the concessional pharmaceutical copayments paid by each eligible veteran in a calendar year up to the safety net threshold, minus the total annual value of the pharmaceutical allowance component of the Pension, Veterans or MRCA Supplement.

Is the reimbursement for all pharmaceuticals costs, or just those related to accepted disabilities?

The VPRS will reimburse out of pocket pharmaceutical costs relating to all conditions for eligible veterans with Gold Cards. Eligible veterans with White Cards will be reimbursed for pharmaceuticals relating to their accepted disabilities only.

When will the Scheme start and when will the first reimbursements be made?

The VPRS will commence on 1 January 2012. As the safety net threshold operates on a calendar year basis, reimbursement for 2012 costs will be made in the first quarter of 2013.

What is a Prescription Record Form?

You use a Prescription Record Form (PRF) to keep track of how much you and your dependent family have spent on medicines for safety net entitlement purposes. It is your responsibility to keep track of how much has been spent and to know when the safety net limit has been reached. Maintenance of the PRF is important to enable an accurate calculation of the reimbursement and to ensure you get the full benefit of the VPRS and other RPBS entitlements.

Is the reimbursement taxable or means tested?

No, reimbursement payments will be tax exempt and not subject to the income test.

Will I have to make a claim?

No claim is necessary. DVA records are used to monitor your access to pharmaceuticals through the RPBS. The reimbursement amount will be calculated automatically by DVA and paid into your normal bank account.

What if pharmaceutical co-payments rise or the safety net threshold is adjusted in future years?

The calculation of the reimbursement amount will take into account both the cost of the pharmaceutical co-payment and the number of scripts required to reach the safety net threshold.

Will veterans be reimbursed for the additional cost of Brand Price premium pharmaceuticals?

No, the scheme will reimburse only standard costs associated with the pharmaceutical concessional co-payment.

Other Factsheets Other Factsheets related to this topic include: HSV92 Repatriation Pharmaceutical Benefits Scheme (RPBS) HSV60 Repatriation Health Card – For All Conditions (Gold) HSV61 Repatriation Health Card – For Specific Conditions (White) HSV69 Repatriation Pharmaceutical Benefits Card (Orange)

More information All DVA Factsheets are available from DVA offices, and on the DVA website at www.dva.gov.au.

You can phone DVA for the cost of a local call on 133 254 or 1800 555 254 for country callers.

Use a normal landline phone if you can. Mobile phone calls may cost you more. You can send an email to DVA at: GeneralEnquiries@dva.gov.au. You can get more help from any DVA office.

Blood Registry The RSL Blood Register is working well and with the new electronic register it can be up dated at anytime by the RSL committee members authorised to access it. This will ensure the registry is up -to-date at all times. It’s a big help and will ensure swiftness of access should anyone require blood in a hurry.

PLEASE NOTE We, with the help of the A.U. Hospital Red Cross Department, have devised a new system of donating and receiving blood. From here on in the procedure will be.

DONORS

14 You will be able to donate blood at any time. All you have to do is go to the A.U. Hospital during normal Hospital times (9am to 5pm week days) and go to the Red Cross Department in the basement and ask for Liza or Sir Alvi and tell them you are here to donate blood and it is to be credited to the RSL Blood Registry Account.

They will then take a test sample and if your blood is suitable they will then take it. If you do not wish to wait for the sample to be tested you can ask them to take the blood straight away and they will do that on the understanding that if the blood is unsuitable for any reason it may be t hrown away. We have found that some of our donors are quite happy to take this option rather than wait for the testing to be done as sometimes the test can take a while. The option is up to you, the donor.

This method of donating blood will eliminate the necessity of running blood drives and makes it more convenient for donors as you can donate anytime that is convenient for you. So if you are a resident or just here on holidays you can be of help.

Please note, it doesn’t matter what your blood type is, AU will credit us unit for unit regardless of type.

PLEASE GIVE IF YOU CAN – THE MORE CREDITS WE HAVE THE BETTER

BLOOD RECIPIENTS When you or a person you are acting for requires blood you must follow this procedure: First of all you MUST get a “Request Form” from the Doctor in the hospital the patient is in – please ensure the request is fully filled out and signed by the Doctor.

Then you take the request form along with a small esky (cooler) with ice in it to the AU Hospital Red Cross Department and ask for LIZA or SIR ALVI. If it is after hours there should be someone there as it is manned 24 hours. Explain to them you are there to collect blood from the RSL Blood Bank and present them with the Doctors Request.

There will be a service charge of P354 per unit.

In the event they do not have the blood type you request, then call the RSL Blood Register number (listed below) and we will attempt to locate donors. If you have any difficulties or need help or have questions, please call the numbers listed below.

Jim Curtis-Smith 0917 503 2602 Lindsay Drury 0921 601 0966 (he is in Australia until June)

SICK PARADE Pat Kane Pat Kane is in Lourdes ICU plugged in to life support. However the situation appears fairly hopeless.

His son is trying to get from New York to here by Saturday. Sad to hear of his current condition, he is only 65 years of age. Pat has been a RSL Member for the last 6 years and has previously served on our Committee. He used to attend very regular and was always a man with a happy smile.

ANZAC DAY IN LA UNION As has happened in past years, VFW Post 9892 in La Union will be conducting an ANZAC Day memorial service at the Coconut Grove Beach Resort Paringao, Bauang on 25 April 2012.

Any Australian in that area are invited by the VFW to attend the service. For more details on timings etc contact Frank Hilliard on vfw9892@yahoo.com.ph or phone (072) 6076660.

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RETURNED AND SERVICES LEAGUE OF AUSTRALIA ANGELES CITY SUB BRANCH – PHILIPPINES PO Box 53820 Angeles City 2009, PAMPANGA, PHILIPPINES WWW.RSLANGELESCITY.COM EMAIL: secretary@rslangelescity.com

PAYMENT OF ANNUAL DUES 2012 FINANCIAL YEAR Dear Member, Annual dues are now payable for the financial year 2012 January to December 2012.

Amount payable is only ₱700.00 (No Change from 2011) We will issue a Special card for Philippines .

You may choose how you pay by any of the following methods now available.

Offshore Members can pay from any country outside the Philippines by PayPal found within our web site WWW.RSLANGELESCITY.COM and can use any credit card or Debit Card. ( $20.00 ) Australian Members can DIRECT Transfer to our Commonwealth Bank of Australia Account. ( $20.00) Account Name = Returned Services League Angeles City Sub Branch BSB 062 905 Account # 10153195 Philippine Resident Members living outside our immediate area may pay (₱700.00 ) DIRECT into any China Bank Branch Beneficiary Customer=ANGELES CITY RSL Account Number = 281-028301-5 Branch = SM CLARK CITY Members living in Angeles City can pay cash (₱700.00 ) DIRECT to Treasurer Ron Parrott 09399365939 or Secretary Dallas Drake 09165243084 who both have receipt books with them every Tuesday( 2.00 p.m.) at Ponderosa or every Saturday evening (6.00 p.m.) at Phillies Sports & Grill Bar charity raffle.(see Bob Barnes) We trust you will stay with us and help build a stronger RSL Sub branch.

Kind Regards, DISCLAIMER Dallas Drake The Angeles City Sub-Branch of the R&SLA, the Committee and the Editor take no Honorary Secretary. responsibilities for any errors, omissions or inaccuracies contained in this newsletter.

March 2012 Nor do they accept any liability for loss or damage suffered directly or indirectly for use of information contained in this newsletter. Nor do they warrant that articles or opinions published in this newsletter are necessarily the opinions held by the Subbranch, the Committee or the Editor

“The price of liberty is eternal vigilance” Lest we forget