DSWD food stamp program targets hunger, malnutrition

By Paulo DS Papa

THE Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) has requested local chief executives in Camarines Sur to submit lists of micro and small agricultural business owners in their localities.

The request is part of the DSWD’s food stamp program under “Walang Gutom 2027,” an initiative created by Executive Order No. 44 aimed at significantly reducing the number of Filipino families experiencing involuntary hunger and malnutrition. The program intends to provide nutritious food to one million Filipino families until 2027.

During an information caravan promoting the program on Tuesday, August 6, 2024, at the Digital Transformation Center, Capitol Complex, in Cadlan, Pili town, DSWD Secretary Rex Gatchalian informed the mayors present that the individuals on the list will be validated to supply agricultural products to beneficiaries.

These beneficiaries will use electronic benefit cards loaded with food credits.

These cards can only be used at DSWD-accredited regular stores and Kadiwa stores. Secretary Gatchalian stated that the DSWD aims to partner with micro and small businesses, which will be supplied directly by local farmers from various farmers’ cooperatives.

He emphasized that President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. prioritizes the farm-to-table mechanism, ensuring that people in the agricultural and business sectors also benefit from the program.

In a media interview, he explained that these retailers would pay farmers only their cost of sales while benefiting from monthly food credits provided by the DSWD based on the products availed by the beneficiaries. “Kanila ‘yon. Wala nang trader, wala na ding middleman. Diretso sa kanila ‘yong tinda na ‘yon. Kanilang-kanila na ‘yon kaya nga farm to table ang konsepto,” he said.

Regarding the beneficiaries, Secretary Gatchalian assured that the selection process would be free from political influence, with the DSWD being the sole government organization responsible for identifying qualified food-poor and malnourished families listed in “Listahanan.” As of now, the DSWD aims to assist about 24,000 food-poor and undernourished families in Camarines Sur, which are part of the first 100,000 target families in the program.

The Philippine Statistics Authority (PSA) defines a “food-poor family” as one earning less than P9,000.00 per month.