The Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD)-Western Visayas (Region 6) has tapped 17 retailers to supply food products to beneficiary households of the Walang Gutom: Food Stamp Program in two local government units (LGUs) in Negros Occidental.
As of Friday, there are seven accredited retailers in E.B. Magalona town and 11 others in Victorias City.
“We have partnered with several local retailers from each LGU to supply food products to the beneficiaries. The retailers were given electronic scanners to scan the cards for payments,” the DSWD-6 said in a statement.
At least 43,021 households considered food poor in Negros Occidental were registered under the Walang Gutom: Food Stamp Program. They can avail of the electronic benefit transfer (EBT) card that contains a monthly amount of PHP3,000 to purchase food from DSWD partner retailers.
“It is their respective LGUs that will organize the monthly redemption day,” the DSWD-6 added.
Following the program launch, 191 beneficiaries in E.B. Magalona town and 111 others in Victorias City Coliseum have already received EBT cards to redeem food packages consisting of nutritious food such as vegetables, fruits, rice, bread, and meat products.
In E.B. Magalona, the partner retailers include Casey’s Store, Bebeng Store, Linazan Store, DJ Fish Trading, Edmer Store, Pasaporte Store, and Dana Store while in Victorias City, these are Add’s Meatshop, Alberto Ninoy Dressed Chicken, Luna’s Pork and Meatshop, Q-mart, MDM88 Store, Diannes Store, NJJR Rice Retailer, Roberto Rice and Retailer, Rosita’s Store, and Austin’s Rice.
The food suppliers signed a retailer’s contract and memorandum of agreement with the DSWD to ensure the accessibility and availability of nutritious food to the beneficiaries.
The Food Stamp Program, created through Executive Order No. 44, is an anti-hunger and poverty reduction program aimed at decreasing the incidence of involuntary hunger being experienced by Filipinos from low-income households. (PNA)
