300k Pinoy families to get DSWD food stamps in 2024
By Raymund Antonio and Raymund Antonio
Published May 23, 2023 06:05 am
The Department of Social Welfare and Development’s (DSWD) food stamp program aims to provide for at least 300,000 families on its first run scheduled in early 2024, DSWD Secretary Rex Gatchalian said on Tuesday, May 23.
(Photo from the Presidential Communications Office)
He gave details about the program, which would provide low-income families with tap cards that have a “food equivalent” they can use to pay for food items, during a press briefing in Malacañang.
While the eventual goal of the program is to provide food stamps for one million families, the official said this would not be done simultaneously because “that’s trouble waiting to happen.”
“We have to do it in a progressive manner, we have to do the pilot at 3,000 families; 300,000 hopefully next year sa first run; another 300,000 right after and then hopefully reach the magic number of one million on the succeeding year,” he explained, adding that the program’s “actual run” would be in the first quarter of 2024.
Gatchalian, however, did not divulge the amount of the tap cards that each family would receive.
The scheduled pilot run of the program would be from July to December in the pre-identified municipalities, but the DSWD chief said they would still need to “vet them (municipalities) properly.”
The agency also has to “work with the economic team on trying to package the economic side of it or the financing side of it,” along with finalizing the design of the concept.
So far, the department is in the “design stage,” with Gatchalian confirming that he already has the first draft of the design and would spend May to June to finalize it.
“We all know that the devil will be in the details and we have hired multiple consultants in the department to take a second look at what’s being designed para may (so there’ll be) check and balance,” the official said.
The country’s food stamp program was first revealed by President Ferdinand “Bongbong” Marcos Jr. on Monday, May 22.
The Chief Executive said this would be done with the aid from the Asian Development Bank (ADB) through its Official Development Assistance (ODA) financing.
(Photo from the Presidential Communications Office)
He gave details about the program, which would provide low-income families with tap cards that have a “food equivalent” they can use to pay for food items, during a press briefing in Malacañang.
While the eventual goal of the program is to provide food stamps for one million families, the official said this would not be done simultaneously because “that’s trouble waiting to happen.”
“We have to do it in a progressive manner, we have to do the pilot at 3,000 families; 300,000 hopefully next year sa first run; another 300,000 right after and then hopefully reach the magic number of one million on the succeeding year,” he explained, adding that the program’s “actual run” would be in the first quarter of 2024.
Gatchalian, however, did not divulge the amount of the tap cards that each family would receive.
The scheduled pilot run of the program would be from July to December in the pre-identified municipalities, but the DSWD chief said they would still need to “vet them (municipalities) properly.”
The agency also has to “work with the economic team on trying to package the economic side of it or the financing side of it,” along with finalizing the design of the concept.
So far, the department is in the “design stage,” with Gatchalian confirming that he already has the first draft of the design and would spend May to June to finalize it.
“We all know that the devil will be in the details and we have hired multiple consultants in the department to take a second look at what’s being designed para may (so there’ll be) check and balance,” the official said.
The country’s food stamp program was first revealed by President Ferdinand “Bongbong” Marcos Jr. on Monday, May 22.
The Chief Executive said this would be done with the aid from the Asian Development Bank (ADB) through its Official Development Assistance (ODA) financing.