The Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) here has distributed electronic benefit transfer (EBT) cards to 773 beneficiaries on July 18 in the municipality of Mabinay.
This is part of the government’s initiative to fight involuntary hunger among low-income households under the ‘Walang Gutom 2027: Food Stamp Program.’
DSWD-7 regional director Shalaine Marie Lucero urged the beneficiaries to use the EBT cards as intended or designed.
She underscored that not everyone has the opportunity to participate in or avail themselves of the program’s benefits.
Each card contains P3,000 in food credits to be used for buying food supplies, including P1,500 for carbohydrates (50 percent), P900 for protein (30 percent), and P600 for fruits and vegetables (20 percent).
The cards can only be used to redeem food supplies at DSWD-accredited merchants or in local Kadiwa ng Pangulo stores.
DSWD has already started assessing local retailers, as well as conducting onboarding activities to expedite the accreditation processes and ensure an adequate number of retailers for program scaling.
During the inaugural food redemption for the initial batch of beneficiaries, DSWD assistant secretary Krunima Antonio Escudero III reminded the beneficiaries and partner retailers to comply with the conditions or guidelines of the Food Stamp Program since both parties stand to benefit from its provisions.
“Napakaganda ng programa na ito kasi hindi lang ito dole out, may parte din kayo. Kailangan din may gawin kayo para maipagpatuloy ang pagbigay sa inyo ng benepisyo through this program. Ang ating Walang Gutom [2027]: Food Stamp Program. And ito nga, ito na yung patunay na we are truly reaching out to you para mas mapaganda ang serbisyo ng gobyerno at makarating sa inyong lahat,” he emphasized.
The accredited partner retailers or stores are allowed to serve the beneficiaries’ redemption of food packages.
DSWD said the partner stores must possess all the essential documentary requirements and observe food hygiene standards.
The stores must also follow the ‘Go, Grow, and Glow’ matrix for procuring and selling food commodities.
The Walang Gutom Program aims to reduce the incidence of involuntary hunger and malnutrition among low-income households to foster a sustainable population conducive to nation-building.
The program targets to serve 300,000 households from 12 provinces in 10 regions of the country. (JCT/PIA7 Negros Oriental with reports from DSWD)
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Photo Caption: DSWD staff assisting the beneficiaries in organizing their redeemed food commodities at a retailer store in Mabinay, Negros Oriental .(PIA NegOr)
