More than 41,000 new beneficiaries of the Department of Social Welfare and Development’s (DSWD) Walang Gutom Program (WGP) have availed of affordable and nutritious food items during the simultaneous first redemption day being held nationwide.

These new beneficiaries, who are among the first 300,000 households that form part of the target 750,000 WGP household-beneficiaries, used their PHP3,000 food credits loaded in their Electronic Benefit Transfer (EBT) card during their first redemption day, the DSWD said in a news release on Monday.

The simultaneous first redemption day is being held nationwide since Jan. 3 and will last until Jan. 22.

The DSWD said the events were made possible through the participation of partner merchants and retailers who supplied the food items.

“Since its pilot implementation, Secretary Rex Gatchalian has been announcing the scale up plan for the WGP,” the news release quoted DSWD Assistant Secretary and spokesperson Irene Dumlao as saying.

“Now, they are on their first redemption day, buying vegetables, fruits, and other nutritious food for their families.”

The DSWD said the remaining beneficiaries who have not joined the redemption days are expected to avail the affordable and nutritious food from Feb. 10 to 28, depending on the schedule of the redemption day in their areas.

The DSWD’s WGP, institutionalized as the government’s flagship anti-hunger program through Executive Order No. 44, was pilot tested in 2023 with over 2,000 household-beneficiaries across the country.

The program also promotes social and behavioral change among food-poor families by teaching them how to prepare nutritious, delicious, and affordable meals. (PNA)