Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) Secretary Rex Gatchalian leads the distribution of electronic benefit transfer (EBT) cards to the new batch of beneficiaries included in the scale-up pilot implementation of the Walang Gutom 2027: Food Stamp Program (FSP) during their first redemption day in Delpan, Tondo, Manila on Friday (December 22).

The EBT cards loaded with Php3,000 food credits can be used by beneficiaries to purchase nutritious food items from the Kadiwa ng Pangulo stalls during the redemption day.

Joining Sec. Gatchalian in the activity are World Food Programme (WFP) Philippine Country Director, ad-interim, Dipayan Bhattacharyya; WFP Head of Programme Giorgi Dolidze; WFP Project Manager for Walang Gutom 2027 Takero Suzuki; DSWD Undersecretary for Innovations Eduardo Punay; DSWD Assistant Secretary Baldr Bringas; Department of Labor and Employment (DOLE)-National Capital Region Assistant Regional Director Atty. Olivia Obrero Samson;  DOLE Field Office -Manila Director Atty. Joel Petaca; and Technical Education and Skills Development Authority (TESDA) representative Alyssa Taroy.

The FSP is a priority program of the Marcos administration that addresses food insecurity by providing its beneficiaries with access to
monetary-based assistance and nutrition education to teach them how to prepare healthy and safe meals for the family. It also invites them to become productive citizens through skills training and participation in
government-organized job fairs. #