The Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) on Monday, Oct. 16 welcomed Malacañang’s issuance of Executive Order (EO) No. 44, which establishes the “Walang Gutom 2027: Food Stamp Program.”
EO 44, signed on Oct. 12 by Executive Secretary Lucas Bersamin, directs the DSWD to oversee the successful implementation of the food stamp program.
“We in the DSWD are pleased to be the lead agency of this flagship program of President Marcos in achieving zero hunger in the country. Rest assured that the department will do the tasks to make this program work through the whole-of-nation and whole-of-society approaches,” DSWD Assistant Secretary and spokesperson Romel Lopez said.
Under the EO, DSWD will undertake the necessary steps for the successful implementation and expansion of the Food Stamp Program including, but not limited to, the identification of eligible beneficiaries and collaboration with relevant stakeholders to ensure efficient and timely distribution and use of food stamps.
It also directs the DSWD to work in close coordination with concerned national government agencies (NGAs), local government units (LGUs), and other private entities to guarantee the systematic and efficient delivery of assistance to qualified FSP beneficiaries.
“The DSWD shall engage and partner with all relevant NGAs, LGUs and other stakeholders to ensure the successful implementation of the Food Stamp Program. To this, all relevant NGAs are hereby directed, while all participating LGUs are hereby enjoined, to provide full support to, and cooperation with the DSWD to ensure the effective implementation of this Order,” the EO pointed out.
DSWD Secretary Rex Gatchalian will lead the technical working group (TWG) in crafting the EO’s implementing rules and regulations within 30 days of its effectivity.
The Food Stamp Program, which was launched on July 18 in Tondo, Manila and expanded to Siargao Island on Sept. 29, is a fully digitized DSWD program that aims to combat involuntary hunger by providing food augmentation to the bottom one million households based on Listahanan 3, who are classified as belonging to the food-poor criteria as defined by the Philippine Statistics Authority, including pregnant and nursing mothers.
The program is set to hold its third Nutrition Education Session and fourth Redemption Day for its pilot beneficiaries in Tondo on Wednesday, Oct. 18.
It is being implemented in coordination with the Department of Labor and Employment, Technical Education and Skills Development Authority, National Nutrition Council, Food and Nutrition Research Institute, World Food Program, Asian Development Bank, Pilipinas Kontra Gutom Movement, and the Management Association of the Philippines.
Under the program, beneficiaries will be granted monthly food credits worth P3,000 for six months.
The food credits can be used to purchase nutrition-rich food items from DSWD-accredited partner retailers.
Fifty percent of food credits will be allocated to carbohydrate-rich foods like rice and bread (P1,500), 30 percent for proteins like chicken or pork (P900), and 20 percent for vegetables, fruits, oil, salt, and condiments (P600).