WASHINGTON (AP) – Thousands of Filipino-American World War II veterans living in the U.S. will be reunited with family members who live outside the U.S under a new immigration program.
The Filipino World War II Veterans Parole program takes effect this week under an executive order signed by President Barack Obama.
Rudolpho “Rudy” Panaglima (pah-nah-GLEE’-mah) is one the veterans who will benefit from the new policy. He was just 13 when joined a Filipino guerrilla unit that worked in secret with the U.S. Army during World War II.
Panaglima says the program will allow two of his grown sons to move to suburban Washington to care for him and his 83-year-old wife.
He says the reunification of his family “is what I am dreaming because of our age now.”