DSWD chief assures no political intervention in selection of food stamp beneficiaries
Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) Secretary Rex Gatchalian assured that the department has taken all necessary measures to ensure that the beneficiaries of the food stamp program are data-driven and free from political intervention.
(Photo from DSWD/Facebook)
In the post-State of the Nation Address (SONA) discussion on Wednesday, July 26, Gatchalian assured that the DSWD beneficiaries are placed into the appropriate programs to ensure that those who are truly in need receive the assistance. “It has always been a misconception that the selection of beneficiaries goes through the political leaders, quite the contrary. All our programs, including 4Ps (Pantawid Pamilyang Pilipino Program) and now the Food Stamp Program,” Gatchalian said. The DSWD chief stressed that based on saturation or survey drive that the department conducts, they use the “Listahanan” as a basis for its various intervention programs. “For instance, we look for families that don’t make beyond P8,000. We will choose one million families with the lowest per capita income, it’s data-based, and it is isolated from or insulated from our political leaders on the ground,” he added. The food stamp program “Walang Gutom 2027,” which aims to alleviate hunger in the country, especially for low-income families, began its pilot implementation with the distribution of electronic benefit transfer cards loaded with “food credits” on July 18. Read: [https://mb.com.ph/2023/7/18/dswd-starts-pilot-run-of-food-stamp-program](https://mb.com.ph/2023/7/18/dswd-starts-pilot-run-of-food-stamp-program) The program is implemented with the World Food Program and Asian Development Bank. It also aims to address hunger and empower beneficiaries through capacity building and training to improve their employable skills. *(Rhowen Del Rosario)*
(Photo from DSWD/Facebook)
In the post-State of the Nation Address (SONA) discussion on Wednesday, July 26, Gatchalian assured that the DSWD beneficiaries are placed into the appropriate programs to ensure that those who are truly in need receive the assistance. “It has always been a misconception that the selection of beneficiaries goes through the political leaders, quite the contrary. All our programs, including 4Ps (Pantawid Pamilyang Pilipino Program) and now the Food Stamp Program,” Gatchalian said. The DSWD chief stressed that based on saturation or survey drive that the department conducts, they use the “Listahanan” as a basis for its various intervention programs. “For instance, we look for families that don’t make beyond P8,000. We will choose one million families with the lowest per capita income, it’s data-based, and it is isolated from or insulated from our political leaders on the ground,” he added. The food stamp program “Walang Gutom 2027,” which aims to alleviate hunger in the country, especially for low-income families, began its pilot implementation with the distribution of electronic benefit transfer cards loaded with “food credits” on July 18. Read: [https://mb.com.ph/2023/7/18/dswd-starts-pilot-run-of-food-stamp-program](https://mb.com.ph/2023/7/18/dswd-starts-pilot-run-of-food-stamp-program) The program is implemented with the World Food Program and Asian Development Bank. It also aims to address hunger and empower beneficiaries through capacity building and training to improve their employable skills. *(Rhowen Del Rosario)*