President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr., Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) Secretary Rex Gatchalian, and the Asian Development Bank (ADB) on Thursday 16 October led the launching of the Reducing Food Insecurity and Undernutrition with Electronic Vouchers (REFUEL) Project, which aims to strengthen and scale up the Walang Gutom Program (WGP).

“Through the REFUEL Project, we are expanding the reach and impact of the Walang Gutom Program so that more families can have access to nutritious food,” Secretary Gatchalian said.

Held at the San Andres Sports Complex in Manila, the REFUEL Project will scale up the WGP’s coverage to 750,000 households nationwide by 2026. The project, with a total cost of P74 billion, is supported by an ADB loan to the Philippines and co-financed by the Agence Française de Développement (AFD) and the OPEC Fund for International Development.

Gatchalian said the launch of REFUEL marks another milestone in the DSWD’s efforts to innovate food assistance programs and ensure that every Filipino family has access to nutritious, delicious, and affordable food.

“The REFUEL Project reflects our joint commitment to design evidence-based, sustainable programs that respond to the needs of Filipino families and promote inclusive growth,” Gatchalian said.

The WGP, recognized as a flagship program of the Marcos administration under Executive Order No. 44, is the country’s version of the food stamp program similar to other countries. It provides a monthly P3,000 electronic food credits to low-income households. As part of the program's conditions, beneficiaries are required to attend productivity enhancement sessions aimed at upskilling them for possible livelihood opportunities. Another key feature of the WGP is the nutrition education component which promotes behavioral change by fostering healthy food practices among participants.