Manila — Secretary Rex Gatchalian of the Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) emphasized on Thursday that the Philippine government had been proactive in addressing hunger and poverty prior to the recent findings of a Social Weather Station (SWS) survey on the issues.
According to Philippines News Agency, President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr. had previously directed the DSWD to devise innovative measures aimed at eradicating hunger and poverty. The Secretary underscored the President's commitment to ending hunger and fostering an inclusive nation through the development of programs such as the Food Stamp Program (FSP). The FSP, designed to mitigate food poverty and malnutrition, provides a monthly meal subsidy of PHP 3,000 to low-income families.
Currently undergoing a pilot run, the FSP is expected to expand by mid-2024 and aims to assist one million families identified as "food poor" by the Philippine Statistics Authority (PSA), including pregnant and nursing mothers. The initial roll-out covers select areas, including Tondo in Manila and regions such as Cagayan Valley, Bicol, Caraga, and the Bangsamoro Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (BARMM).
The DSWD has confirmed the President's approval of the FSP's regular budget for 2024 to sustain the meal augmentation for the targeted one million 'food poor' families. Additionally, the Pantawid Pamilyang Pilipino Program (4Ps) is currently supporting 4.4 million 'poorest of the poor' households with monthly subsidies for education and health, impacting approximately 20 million individuals.
Gatchalian anticipates that these initiatives, combined with those already benefitting from the 4Ps, will significantly reduce poverty levels. The expectation is in line with recent SWS survey data, which showed an increase in the percentage of families self-classifying as 'not poor.'
The survey, conducted from September 28 to October 1, revealed that 48 percent of Filipino families consider themselves poor, which equates to an estimated 13.2 million families, an increase from 12.5 million in June 2023.
The DSWD's goal, as stated by Gatchalian, is to ensure all Filipinos are liberated from hunger and poverty, have equal opportunity access, and are supported by a fair, just, and peaceful society. He reiterated the department's mission to spearhead the development and coordination of social welfare and development policies and programs for the nation's poor, vulnerable, and disadvantaged.