FOOD STAMP. A beneficiary of the 'Walang Gutom 2027' redeems his food stamp at a retail store in Cebu. Department of Social Welfare and Development regional director Shalaine Marie Lucero on Tuesday (July 23, 2024) said the initial batch of the food stamp beneficiaries in Cebu and Negros Oriental provinces have already redeemed their assistance aimed at eliminating hunger in the Philippines. (Photo courtesy of DSWD-7)
CEBU CITY – An initial batch of beneficiaries in Cebu and Negros Oriental provinces have utilized their food stamps from the “Walang Gutom 2027 Food Stamp Program” as provided by the national government, a social welfare official here said on Tuesday.
Shalaine Marie Lucero, regional director of the Department of Social Welfare and Development in Central Visayas (DSWD-7), said the inaugural food redemption activity facilitated 159 beneficiaries in Cordova town in Cebu province and another 773 individuals in Mabinay, Negros Oriental.
Lucero said DSWD Assistant Secretary Krunima Antonio Escudero III graced the food redemption in Barangay Cogon, Cordova on July 18.
She said Escudero 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.
“This program is truly wonderful because it is not just a dole out; you also have a part to play. You need to take action to continue receiving the benefits through this program,” Lucero quoted Escudero as saying in her speech at Cordova.
Meanwhile, Lucero urged the beneficiaries to use the electronic benefit transfer (EBT) cards as intended, underscoring that not everyone can participate in or avail themselves of the program’s benefits.
Each EBT card contains PHP3,000 in food credits from DSWD-WGP to redeem food commodities, with 50 percent (PHP1,500) allocated to carbohydrates, 30 percent (PHP900) for proteins, and 20 percent (PHP600) for fruits and vegetables.
Assessment of local retailers, as well as activities to expedite accreditation, are ongoing. (PNA)
