The Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) on Thursday lauded the House Committee on Social Services for approving the proposed institutionalization of the “Walang Gutom 2027: Food Stamp Program (FSP)”.

“The department would like to express our gratitude to the House committee on social services for supporting our government’s flagship program on eradicating involuntary hunger among our kababayans,” DSWD spokesperson Irene Dumlao said in a statement.

Dumlao, also assistant secretary for Disaster Response Management Group (DRMG), said the approval of the bill will provide security to the long-term existence of the program, as well as additional funding that will enable the DSWD to fulfill the goals of the FSP.

“The DSWD views the approval of this bill as a testament to the government’s commitment to fostering food security and uplifting the lives of the most vulnerable sectors of society,” Dumlao said.

During the House hearing last Tuesday, DSWD Assistant Secretary for Innovations Baldr Bringas briefed the panel members led by chairperson Ria Vergara of Nueva Ecija about the program, leading to the approval of the unnumbered substitute bill to House Bills 8532, 8899, 10010, and 10202, all seeking to strengthen the anti-involuntary hunger program of the government.

The FSP provides a holistic approach to combat involuntary hunger by providing its beneficiaries with access to monetary-based assistance and also invites them to become more productive citizens by participating in capacity building and training to improve their employable skills.

“These consolidated bills collectively seek to fortify the Food Stamp Program, marking a significant step towards alleviating hunger in our communities. We, in the DSWD, remain steadfast in the enactment of meaningful reforms that resonate with the principles of social justice and inclusivity,” Dumlao said.

Under the program, qualified beneficiaries can use Electronic Benefit Transfer (EBT) cards with PHP3,000 worth of food credits to purchase food items through accredited retailers.

Dumlao said the DSWD, as the lead implementing agency of the program, is gearing towards the scaled-up implementation of FSP to cover 300,000 beneficiaries by July.

“We call upon our social justice champions in both chambers to support the DSWD achieve the full-scale implementation of the program by approving the move to institutionalize FSP,” Dumlao said. (PNA)