COMBATING HUNGER | President Marcos leads the kickoff activity for the Food Stamp Program dubbed “Walang Gutom 2027” in Tondo, Manila, on Tuesday. (MALACAÑANG PHOTO)
MANILA, Philippines — President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. led on Tuesday the launching of the Department of Social Welfare and Development’s (DSWD) Food Stamp Program (FSP), which seeks to alleviate involuntary hunger and poverty, particularly in low-income households.
“That is the dream of this administration …, that by the end of 2028 we can say that we have done everything to reduce hunger and poverty in our country and … ensure that we can provide a good, healthy and productive life to our people,” Marcos said at the “Walang Gutom 2027: Food Stamp Program” kickoff activity held in Tondo, Manila.
“We have always [tried] to rise up from the throes of poverty but the problem of hunger and malnutrition still remains. And that’s why it has become a priority of this government that we will fight all the poverty.
We will put in all the programs so that one day we can say that we are able to give our people, at the very least, the food that they need to survive, the nutrition that they need to survive,” he added.
‘1M food poor’
Present during the program were Vice President Sara Duterte, Social Welfare Secretary Rex Gatchalian, Labor Secretary Bienvenido Laguesma, Manila Mayor Honey Lacuna, Asian Development Bank Philippines country director Pavit Ramachandran and World Food Program Philippines country director Brenda Barton.
According to the DSWD, the program aims to provide food augmentation to 1 million households classified as “food poor” as defined by the Philippine Statistics Authority.
Beneficiaries will receive P3,000 in food credits from July to December.
After his speech, Marcos distributed the Electronic Benefit Transfer (EBT) cards loaded with food credits to 10 of the 50 initial beneficiaries, among them pregnant and breastfeeding mothers.
The president said that beneficiaries would get not just “all kinds of food,” but those with nutritional value.
Gatchalian earlier said that beneficiaries could use their EBT cards at accredited retailers such as Kadiwa stores, groceries, and small supermarkets.