The Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) has announced the launch of its food stamp initiative, “Walang Gutom 2027”. Aimed at providing assistance to one million of the country’s poorest families, this DSWD program will involve distributing food credits worth P3,000 to cover their food needs.
The current government led by President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr. is focusing on putting into action the DSWD plan of creating “food stamps,” which will be funded through an Official Development Assistance (ODA) program financed by the Asian Development Bank (ADB).
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What is the DSWD Food Stamp Walang Gutom program?
The DSWD Food Stamp Program “Walang Gutom 2027” is an initiative launched by the Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) to provide assistance to one million of the country’s poorest families.
The program involves distributing food credits worth P3,000 to cover their food needs. This program will roll out in a progressive manner with 3,000 families as pilot sites before expanding to 300,000 families in the first run and eventually reaching 1 million families in total.
Financial support for the implementation of this project has been provided by Asian Development Bank. In addition, beneficiaries must register at their nearest Public Employment Service Office (PESO) and have an income of less than P8,000 per month according to the Philippine Statistics Authority data.
The goal of this program is to reduce hunger and promote human capitalization through employment opportunities for those covered by the program. The ultimate aim is for all Filipino families across the nation to have access to food security by 2027.
This is an initiative that has been supported and funded by Philippine government institutions, private organizations, as well as international aid agencies in order to reduce hunger nationwide and ensure that Filipinos have access to food security. It’s a long-term project with goals of improving nutrition and health outcomes among those who benefit from this assistance.
A Progressive Program To Reduce Hunger
The DSWD Secretary expressed that this is not a project that can be done simultaneously for the targeted one million families. Instead, the program roll-out will be done in a progressive manner.
It will start with 3,000 families as pilot sites before expanding to 300,000 families in the first run next year. Afterward, another 300,000 families will get benefits and finally reach the target one million mark in the succeeding year.
Sites Chosen From Different Geopolitical Characteristics
To ensure that each region receives appropriate programs based on its particular context, five pilot sites were chosen from different geopolitical characteristics:
- one from BARMM (the Bangsamoro Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao);
- one from geographically isolated provinces;
- one from urban poor settings;
- another from calamity-stricken areas; and
- lastly, a rural poor area.
During this process, DSWD will continuously monitor and measure how their beneficiaries are faring in each region.
Conditions Set For Beneficiaries
This food stamp program also comes with certain conditions for its beneficiaries: they must have an income of less than P8,000 per month according to PSA gauge. Furthermore, they must register at their nearest Public Employment Service Office (PESO) to become counted as part of the workforce no matter what job they are doing. This way, they can benefit from increased caloric intake which allows them to become more productive citizens of our nation.
Financial Support Received
To aid in this program’s implementation, Asian Development Bank provided close to U$3 million for a six-month pilot run. With these finances and additional support from Marcos administration’s economic team along with proper monitoring and measurement by DSWD itself, “Walang Gutom 2027” is expected to reduce hunger among Filipino families across the nation while still promoting human capitalization through employment opportunities.
Video: DSWD Food Stamp Program to be Implemented
Here’s a video report about the Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) Food Stamp Program that is set to be implemented soon in the Philippines. The program will aim to aid impoverished Filipinos by providing them with food stamps for sustenance to those who are unable to access affordable, quality groceries due to their financial constraints.
The program will require beneficiaries to undergo an assessment process before they can avail of the stamps, and the benefits will only last for six months.