DSWD Food Stamp pilot implementation to go full blast by December

The Department of Social Welfare and Development is set to conduct the full-scale pilot implementation of the "Walang Gutom 2027: Food Stamp Program" by December of this year, a senior official of the agency said.

DSWD Undersecretary for Innovations Eduardo Punay made the announcement at the 3rd Nutrition Education Session and 4th Redemption Day of pilot beneficiaries in Tondo, Manila on Wednesday, 18 October.

"Right now, we are doing the pilot implementation. Three thousand families sa loob ng limang pilot sites ang ating target, and we will go full blast sa pilot implementation come December," Usec. Punay said during an interview with the media.

Punay said that with President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr.'s issuance of Executive Order No. 44, which establishes the FSP as a flagship program of the current administration, the implementation of the program will be assured of funding to help more food-poor families in 2024.

"First and foremost, by declaring that it is a priority program, we are assured of funding next year so makakasama po ito sa General Appropriations Act – sa national budget next year. Secondly, and very important, is yung participation ng other agencies kasi through the EO, which is institutionalizing the program, DSWD is assured of support from other agencies," Punay explained.

The FSP provides food augmentation to food poor families, including pregnant and nursing mothers like Jennifer Suarez, a housewife and mother of two.

"Malaking tulong po kasi hindi po sapat yung kinikita ng asawa ko sa pang araw-araw po namin lalo na nag-gagatas, diaper pa yung mga anak ko (The program is a big help because my husband's income is not enough for our daily needs, especially since I am breastfeeding and both my children need diapers.)," Jennifer pointed out.

She also shared the knowledge she gained from attending Nutrition Education Sessions.

Attendance to the monthly Nutrition Education Sessions is one of the conditions for FSP beneficiaries in order for them to regularly receive their monthly food credit of P3,000.

"Natututunan po namin kung paano mag-budget ng kakainin po sa araw-araw, kung paano po maging masustansya yung kakainin po namin sa araw-araw (We learned how to budget our meals and how to prepare healthy food every day)," Jennifer said

"Nagpapasalamat po ako sa bumubuo ng programa, sa DSWD po dahil isa po ako sa napili na maging benepisyaryo ng Food Stamp Program. Malaking tulong po ito sa amin sa pang araw-araw po naming pangangailangan (I am grateful to all the implementing agencies of the program, to the DSWD, because I was chosen as one of the beneficiaries of the Food Stamp Program. It is a big help to us to address our daily needs)," Jennifer stressed.

The FSP provides a holistic approach to address involuntary hunger by providing its beneficiaries with access to monetary-based assistance and also invites them to become more productive citizens since they will be required to participate in capacity building and training to improve their employable skills.