DSWD set to fully implement Food Stamp Program in July

MANILA – The government is set to fully implement the "Food Stamp Program" (FSP) nationwide in July, an official of the Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) said on Saturday.

In a press briefing in Quezon City, DSWD Undersecretary Edu Punay said preparations for the full implementation of the program are underway after a successful six-month pilot implementation in several parts of the country.

The FSP is one of the priority programs of the Marcos administration that aims to fight involuntary hunger by providing food augmentation to the bottom one million households, based on the Listahanan 3, who belong to the food-poor criteria as defined by the Philippine Statistics Authority.

Punay said the program would be implemented in 10 regions and 21 provinces with an initial target of 300,000 families and has begun hiring staff in the areas covered.

"This month po, magsisimula na iyong validation at ating registration ng 300,000 beneficiaries para sa July na rin po natin. Naka-hire na po this month ng 1,000 validators dito sa mga implementation sites. Twenty-one provinces in 10 regions po iyan na na-identify ng ating departamento bilang priority areas (We already began the validation and registration of 300,000 beneficiaries this month for our July [full implementation]. We also hired 1,000 validators in our implementation sites this month. Twenty-one provinces in 10 regions have been identified by our department as priority areas)," he said.

According to Punay, a review and assessment of the results of their six-month pilot testing will be conducted to determine the impact of the program on select 3,000 beneficiaries.

He noted that initial assessments conducted from February to March showed a significant impact on the lives of the beneficiaries.

The DSWD is mandated to identify eligible beneficiaries of the program and to collaborate with relevant stakeholders to ensure the efficient and timely distribution of food stamps.

President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr. has issued Executive Order 44, establishing the "Walang Gutom 2027: Food Stamp Program" as a flagship program of the national government.

The program aims to reduce the incidence of voluntary hunger experienced by low-income households by providing monetary-based assistance through Electronic Benefit Transfer (EBT) cards that can be used to purchase select food commodities from eligible partner merchant stores. (PNA)