Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) Secretary Rex Gatchalian met with newly-appointed Asian Development Bank (ADB) Country Director Pavit Ramachandran and former Country Director Kelly Bird during a courtesy call at the DSWD Central Office on Monday (June 19).

During the meeting, the DSWD Chief and ADB executives, together with World Food Programme (WFP) Philippines Deputy Country Director Dipayan Bhattacharyya and Department of Finance – International Finance Group Officer-in-Charge Paola Gabrielle Matanguihan, discussed the upcoming pilot run, focusing on the intervention modality and financing modality of the Food Stamp Program (FSP), the newest addition to the Marcos administration’s anti-hunger program.

Secretary Gatchalian reiterated the directive of President Ferdinand R. Marcos. Jr. to make sure that the implementation of the FSP will not be hampered after the pilot run.

“The President said, please make sure that the project doesn’t get cut off. When the pilot is successful, then suddenly there’s no money or there’s a gap before the money comes in,” the DSWD chief pointed out.

On Tuesday (June 13), Secretary Gatchalian announced the approval of President Marcos on the pilot run and implementation of the FSP, noting that the chief executive provided some provisions to expand the program, such as the inclusion of single-parent as well as pregnant and lactating mothers to the list of program beneficiaries.

For the pilot run, the DSWD has identified five sites coming from different geopolitical characteristics – one in the Bangsamoro Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (BARMM) in what used to be a former conflict area; one in geographically isolated regions or provinces; one in urban poor setting; one in calamity-stricken areas; and one in a rural poor area.

The ADB will provide U$3 million for the six-month pilot run of the food stamp program. #