DSWD gears up for pilot run of food stamp program in Isabela
The Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD), through its Field Office 2 in Cagayan Valley, has signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) with the local government of San Mariano in Isabela province for the pilot implementation of the “Walang Gutom 2027: Food Stamp Program (FSP).”
DSWD Undersecretary for Innovations Eduardo M. Punay represented the agency at the MOU signing on Jan. 15.
Punay expressed the agency’s eagerness to collaborate with the local government of San Mariano in the program’s pilot implementation.
“The Food Stamp Program does not only aim to address the issue on the lack of food and resources, but also the issue on malnutrition because DSWD aims to help the Filipinos, from womb to tomb. That’s why our agency hopes for the successful collaboration with LGU (local government unit) of San Mariano in order to accomplish this responsibility,” he said.
San Mariano Mayor Edgar Go expressed his gratitude to the DSWD for choosing their locality as one of the pilot areas of the FSP.
The municipality of San Mariano, a geographically isolated area, was chosen as one of the pilot areas for the FSP implementation because its constituents require food assistance.
The pilot implementation in San Mariano is scheduled to begin in the last week of January.
The FSP is a flagship program of the Marcos administration that aims to combat involuntary hunger in low-income households by providing P3,000 worth of food credits in Electronic Benefit Transfer cards that beneficiaries can use to purchase nutritious foods.
Other FSP pilot areas include Tondo, Manila; Dapa, Siargao Island; Garchitorena, Camarines Sur, and Parang, Maguindanao.