By Mariela Angella Oladive
The Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD)-6 has expanded its Walang Gutom 2027 Food Stamp Program to Iloilo and Antique, aiming to alleviate food insecurity among low-income households in Western Visayas.
The program, initially piloted in Negros Occidental, now targets 43,021 beneficiaries across the region. This includes 28,124 households in Negros Occidental, 10,560 in Iloilo, and 4,337 in Antique.
DSWD Field Office 6 Regional Director Arwin Razo emphasized the need for expansion, noting that several households in Negros Occidental were excluded from the initial implementation due to their participation in the Pantawid Pamilyang Pilipino Program (4Ps).
“In the guidelines of the Walang Gutom Program, they are automatically excluded if they are already part of the roster of the Pantawid,” Razo said on Friday.
The initiative provides qualifying households, identified through the National Household Targeting System for Poverty Reduction (NHTS-PR), with monthly electronic food assistance.
Project Development Officer III Fabelino Bendoy explained that beneficiaries receive Electronic Benefit Transfer (EBT) cards preloaded with PHP 3,000 in food credits. These can be used to buy food items from DSWD-registered retailers.
“We have an ongoing validation activity that will end next week. The status of verification as of Nov. 26 is 35,695, or 82.97 percent, and now it’s around 90 percent,” Bendoy said.
The first food redemptions in Iloilo and Antique are expected before the end of the year.
Since the program’s launch in May 2024, 16,426 families in Negros Occidental have participated in four cycles of food redemption as of November 15.
The program ensures a balanced diet, with food assistance designed to include 50% carbohydrates, 30% protein, and 20% fats.
The Walang Gutom 2027 Food Stamp Program aligns with Executive Order No. 44, issued last year by President Ferdinand Marcos Jr., which emphasizes the government’s commitment to reducing hunger and food insecurity nationwide.
