Guam Congressman James Moylan is urging the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) to relocate its regional office from Manila to Guam, highlighting the move as a strategic enhancement for veterans' services across the Pacific.
In a letter to VA Secretary Doug Collins, Moylan emphasized Guam's readiness to support the transition, noting the island's strategic location and history as a veteran hub. He pointed out that the current authority to maintain the VA regional Office in the Philippines is set to expire on Sept. 20, 2025, under 38 U.S.C. § 315(b).
"Relocating the Regional Office to Guam presents a transformative opportunity to significantly improve the efficiency claims processing for veterans across the Pacific region," Moylan stated in his letter. "Including those residing in the Philippines, Japan, and the Freely Associated States."
The proposal has garnered support from Governor Lou Leon Guerrero and Lieutenant Governor Josh Tenorio, pledging support for the necessary infrastructure and logistics to accommodate the office's operations, including the staff currently based in Manila.
This initiative comes in response to a May 2024 Government Accountability Office (GAO) report, which highlighted substantial barriers faced by veterans in U.S. territories and Freely Associated States (FAS) when accessing VA healthcare services. The report noted that veterans often experience delays in receiving care and must travel long distances for specialized services, challenges that a regional office in Guam could help mitigate.
