The Philippines has secured a $400-million, or over ₱22-billion, loan from the Manila-based Asian Development Bank (ADB) to support its host country in addressing hunger, food insecurity, and malnutrition, particularly in the face of growing climate and disaster-related threats.

Undernutrition in the country is driven largely by poverty and inadequate access to sufficient, nutritious food. Almost 30 percent of Filipino children under five suffer from stunting—a sign of chronic nutritional deficiencies that impair learning ability, health, and long-term productivity. This widespread undernutrition costs the economy an estimated $8.5 billion annually, underscoring the urgent need for coordinated, multisectoral interventions.

One of the key initiatives supported by the ADB loan for the Reducing Food Insecurity and Undernutrition with Electronic Vouchers (REFUEL) project is the Walang Gutom (Zero Hunger) food stamp program of the Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD). The program seeks to reduce involuntary hunger among low-income households while empowering them to become more productive members of society.

Through the new project, monthly electronic food vouchers will be distributed to 750,000 food-insecure households nationwide. It builds on more than 15 years of support for the Pantawid Pamilyang Pilipino Program (4Ps) and incorporates lessons from similar ADB-backed social protection programs abroad, including Mongolia’s food stamp program.

“With nearly half the Philippine population unable to afford a healthy and nutritious diet, food vouchers are essential to help poor and vulnerable households meet their nutritional needs,” said Pavit Ramachandran, ADB deputy director general for Southeast Asia and concurrent country director for the Philippines, in a statement on Wednesday, Aug. 13.

“This project reflects the ADB’s commitment to improving food security and nutrition so that all Filipinos can thrive,” he added.

Back in April, the National Economic and Development Authority (NEDA) Board—now the Economy and Development (ED) Council—chaired by President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr., approved the REFUEL project.

“By approving the REFUEL project, the government demonstrates its unwavering commitment to fight food insecurity and undernutrition. The program reflects a renewed focus toward ending involuntary hunger, uplifting vulnerable communities, and promoting resilience through smart, nutrition-sensitive social protection,” Department of Economy, Planning, and Development (DEPDev) Secretary Arsenio M. Balisacan had said.

REFUEL will run from July 2025 to July 2028 at an estimated cost of ₱74.6 billion. It is an enhanced version of the previous Philippine food strategic transfer and alternative measures program (STAMP) led by the DSWD and continues under the Walang Gutom 2027 food stamp program—one of the flagship initiatives of the Marcos Jr. administration.

“The project’s goal is to strengthen our shock-responsive social protection systems by ensuring the timely delivery of food vouchers to Filipinos in need, particularly those facing hunger and nutritional challenges in the face of increasing climate and disaster risks,” Balisacan had said.

The DEPDev chief had also emphasized that REFUEL offers an opportunity to boost human capital, particularly as the country works to raise basic and functional literacy rates in the years ahead.

(Ricardo M. Austria)