The Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) distributed on Thursday electronic benefit transfer (EBT) cards to 152 beneficiaries here as part of an initiative to fight involuntary hunger among low-income households.

Eduardo Punay, DSWD Undersecretary for Innovations and Project Development cluster, led the signing of a memorandum of agreement with local officials for the implementation of the program.

Punay and DSWD Assistant Secretary for Innovations and Project Development cluster Baldr Bringas witnessed the redemption of the cards of the initial recipients of the Walang Gutom 2027, or the Food Stamp Program. This is the first roll out of the program in Eastern Visayas.

“We are here to make you feel the love of President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. He doesn’t want families to go hungry,” Punay said during the ceremony at the town’s sports complex.

Under the program, each family gets PHP3,000 per month on their EBT card for three years. The selection of recipients is based on household income, assets, and other factors.

The amount inside the card will be used for buying food supplies, including PHP1,500 for carbohydrates (50 percent), PHP900 for protein (30 percent), and PHP600 for fats, oil, and other dietary fibers (20 percent).

The cards can only be used to redeem food supplies at DSWD-accredited merchants or in local Kadiwa ng Pangulo stores.

“This is not free since you must do your part. We don’t want dole-outs. We ask for your attendance in a nutrition education session with cooking activities and job skills training for those unemployed individuals,” Punay said.

Mayor Remedios Petilla thanked the DSWD for the assistance, as this will support their program to fight hunger and malnutrition.

The Food Stamp Program is a government initiative to achieve food security by addressing involuntary hunger experienced by low-income Filipino households and providing them better access to nutritious food using an EBT card.

It allows beneficiaries to buy a variety of food items, including fruits, vegetables, grains, dairy products, meats, fish, poultry, and non-alcoholic beverages. Certain items, such as hot foods, vitamins, and household supplies, are not eligible for purchase with food stamps.

The program targets 300,000 households from 12 provinces in 10 regions of the country.

Some 48,261 families from four provinces in Eastern Visayas are listed as beneficiaries of the Food Stamp Program. (PNA)