QUEZON CITY - The Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) has announced the nationwide rollout of the 'Food Stamp Program' (FSP) starting in July, following a successful six-month pilot phase. This initiative is part of the government's efforts to address involuntary hunger across the country.
According to Philippines News Agency, during a press briefing held on Saturday, the full implementation of the FSP is scheduled after evaluating the pilot program's effectiveness in various regions. The FSP, a key project under the Marcos administration, aims to provide food assistance to the bottom one million households identified as food-poor based on the Philippine Statistics Authority's criteria.
The program will initially target 300,000 families across 10 regions and 21 provinces identified as priority areas by the DSWD. "This month, we have started the validation and registration of 300,000 beneficiaries for our full implementation in July. We have also hired 1,000 validators this month in our implementation sites," Punay explained.
The DSWD plans to conduct a thorough review and assessment of the pilot's results, which included 3,000 beneficiaries, to gauge the program's impact on improving food security among vulnerable populations. Early assessments from February to March indicated positive outcomes for the participants.
The FSP, established by President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr. through Executive Order 44, aims to reduce voluntary hunger among low-income households by providing monetary assistance via Electronic Benefit Transfer (EBT) cards. These cards will allow beneficiaries to purchase selected food commodities from designated partner merchants, ensuring timely and efficient aid distribution.