Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) Secretary Rex Gatchalian said reducing the poverty incidence to a single digit by the end of President Ferdinand Marcos Jr.’s term in 2028 is achievable through the collective efforts of government agencies.

In an interview with NewsWatch Plus on Aug. 6, Gatchalian emphasized that ending poverty requires a “whole of government” approach, not just the efforts of the DSWD alone.

“The President has set a self-imposed deadline for all of us that by the end of his term, poverty should be single digit, and we all believe that we can do it. Why? Because it's a whole-of-government approach. Poverty reduction is not just a function of DSWD but it's a function of all departments—job generation, capacitating our people to make sure that they're educated and they're ready to catch whatever economic gains there are,” Gatchalian explained.

He said that the “Walang Gutom 2027” Food Stamp Program (FSP), which focuses on investing in human capital, is a key government initiative aimed at eradicating hunger and eventually alleviating poverty in the country.

The DSWD chief explained that the program is designed to address involuntary hunger by promoting behavioral change among “food-poor” families and teaching them how to prepare healthy and safe meals.

Program beneficiaries receive electronic benefit transfer cards preloaded with P3,000 food credits, which can be used to purchase a select list of food commodities.

“You can't be part of the productivity of the country if you're hungry. So this one, we'd like to look at it as an investment to human capital. Because, remember, there are conditions to this also. One, we've worked with the Department of Labor and Employment to make sure that, since hindi ka na gutom theoretically speaking, we're giving you a food credit, somebody in the family has to participate in the job force,” Gatchalian said.

He added that if a family member secures employment, they can exit the program within two years.

“So that while we're giving you a leg up now, when somebody finds that job, hopefully in two years’ time, we can exit you from the program. Kasi may income na (Because there is already a source of income),” Gatchalian also said.

The DSWD also collaborates with the Technical Education and Skills Development Authority (TESDA) to help FSP beneficiaries acquire the skills needed to secure employment.

“If you can't find a job, we're working with TESDA to capacitate you. TechVoc, vocational school so that okay, you go to a job fair now, you didn't land a job, maybe you don't have the skill sets, we'll capacitate you,” he pointed out.

Gatchalian also noted that the FSP itself is an innovation.

“It's using a digital platform, para wala na yung pila pa (so that there’s no longer queue). Number two, it's introducing behavioral change, and three, the conditionalities—they have been tried and tested in other countries,” he said.

Gatchalian also emphasized the importance of working with the private sector to achieve a single-digit poverty incidence.

“In this administration, the President has put a lot of emphasis on working as a team, working as a whole-of-nation, and at the same time, not just government, but bringing in the private sector,” he said.