Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) Secretary Rex Gatchalian on Thursday welcomed the Department of Agriculture’s (DA) approval of the P20 per kilo rice allocation for beneficiaries of the Walang Gutom Program (WGP).

Gatchalian said the low-cost rice will significantly help food-poor families under the WGP stretch their monthly food credits worth P3,000.

We’re providing food assistance to those who are food-poor—families who no longer eat properly or regularly experience hunger. Every month, we give them P3,000 worth of food credits. They use those credits in accredited stores, Kadiwa ng Pangulo stalls, or small agricultural cooperatives to buy food suitable for their families. Now, with the help of the DA and under the President’s directive, they can avail of the P20-per-kilo rice, which will be made available to the poorest,” Gatchalian said.

Under the WGP, households use their food credits via electronic benefit transfer (EBT) cards to buy nutritious food from over 900 accredited stores, including Kadiwa outlets and cooperatives.

With the availability of P20 rice, Gatchalian said beneficiaries will now be able to buy more food for the same amount of credits.

“We have around 300,000 fellow citizens currently receiving food credits. Secretary Laurel and I agreed to bring the President’s P20 rice to those stores so beneficiaries can now purchase cheaper rice using their credits. That means they’ll be able to get more food overall,” he said.

Gatchalian clarified that food credits cannot be converted to cash and can only be used for essential food items. “These food credits cannot be turned into money. And there are specific rules on what they can buy. In the store, they can’t purchase chocolates, junk food, or alcohol. The permitted items are those rich in carbohydrates, protein, and fiber.”

He emphasized that the WGP is not just a hunger alleviation program but a whole-of-government initiative designed to reintegrate food-poor families into the economy. The program is implemented in partnership with agencies such as TESDA and DOLE.

“Some people might think we’re encouraging laziness. But like food stamp programs in other countries, this has a work component. One of the conditions for joining the program is that now that they’re receiving enough food, one adult in the household must have a job. That’s why TESDA and DOLE are important partners — we ensure someone in the household is working,” Gatchalian explained.

The WGP, a flagship initiative of President Ferdinand Marcos Jr.’s zero-hunger directive, will gradually expand to cover 600,000 households this year and aims to reach 750,000 by the end of 2027.