Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) Secretary Rex Gatchalian welcomed the Department of Agriculture’s (DA) approval of the Php20 per kilo rice that will be allocated for the beneficiaries of the Walang Gutom Program (WGP).
The DSWD chief said in a radio interview on Wednesday (June 4) that accessing the low-cost rice would greatly help the WGP beneficiaries especially in budgeting their monthly food credits amounting to Php3,000.
“Binibigyan natin itong food poor, yung mga pamilyang hindi na kumakain ng tama, o yung nakararanas ng kagutuman. Every month, binibigyan natin sila ng 3,000 pesos worth of food credit. Yung food credit, pupunta sila sa tindahan na accredited, sa Kadiwa ng Pangulo, maliit na agriculture COOP, doon sila mamimili ng pagkain na angkop sa kanilang pamilya. Doon, ngayon, maavail na nila sa tulong ng DA at sa utos ng ating Pangulo, ang Php20 na bigas, available sa pinakamahirap,” the DSWD Chief said over radio station DZRH.
Under the WGP, the household beneficiaries receive monthly food credits through their electronic benefit transfer (EBT) cards. During the redemption period, the beneficiaries use their food credits to purchase nutritious food from accredited merchants, retailers, and the ‘Kadiwa ng Pangulo’ outlets.
According to Secretary Gatchalian, the WGP beneficiaries can budget their food credits better and buy more food products now that the Php20 per kilo rice will be made available to them.
“Meron tayong 300,000 na kababayan natin na nakakakuha ng food credit. Ang usapan namin ng DA, ni Secretary Laurel, ang murang bigas, yung benteng bigas ng Pangulo, dadalhin na natin doon para iyong sa nakukuha nilang food credit, murang bigas na ang mabibili nila. So ibig, sabihin mas marami silang pagkain na makukuha pa doon sa food credit,” Secretary Gatchalian told DZRH.
The WGP mechanism also ensures that the food credits given to the beneficiaries are used solely for food which they can purchase from more than 900 accredited stores including Kadiwa outlets and cooperatives.
“Hindi ito (food credits) pwedeng perahin. Tapos dito talaga nakatakda lang anong pwede nilang piliin. Doon sa tindahan, hindi pwede chocolates, hindi pwede tsitsirya, hindi pwede mga alak. Nakasaad na carbohydrates, protein, fiber,” Secretary Gatchalian said.
More than just a hunger alleviation program, the WGP is also innovatively designed to help the beneficiaries become part of the economy through a whole-of-government approach.
As the national hunger alleviation program of the Marcos administration, the DSWD implements the WGP in partnership with other agencies to include the Technical Education and Skills Development Authority (TESDA) and the Department of Labor and Employment (DOLE).
“Baka mag-isip ang mga tao na gumagawa kami ng mga tamad. Katulad sa ibang bansa (na food stamp program), may work component ito [WGP]. Isa sa kondisyon nila para maging bahagi ng programa, ngayon na binibigyan na sila ng sapat na pagkain, dapat nag-ta-trabaho na sila. Kaakibat ang TESDA at DOLE, talagang sinisigurado natin na isa sa adult sa pamilya ay nagtatrabaho. Kaya importante ang DOLE at TESDA kaya partner namin sila,” Secretary Gatchalian explained.
In line with the zero hunger incidence directive of President Ferdinand Marcos, Jr, the WGP will be gradually expanding its coverage, increasing to 600,000 household beneficiaries this year, until reaching the over-all target of 750,000 by yearend of 2027. #