‘DSWD to revisit food basket for anti-hunger programs’

MANILA, Philippines — The Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) underscored yesterday the need to revisit the food baskets that are being distributed to beneficiaries of the Walang Gutom 2027: Food Stamp Program (FSP) to strengthen the government’s anti-hunger initiatives.

According to Social Welfare Secretary Rex Gatchalian, the review should also cover the corresponding costs of the food basket.

He added that once the food basket and its estimated average cost are revisited, updated data can be generated which could be used as a basis to implement programs that will better respond to the needs of food-poor families.

“It has been 10 years since it has been revisited. But I cannot lead the study because it is the job of the FNRI (Food and Nutrition Research Institute) and DOH (Department of Health). They are the experts and we can only say our opinion,” he noted.

The FSP’s composition, which is among the landmark programs of the DSWD under the Marcos administration, has been determined by FNRI, an agency attached to the Department of Science and Technology.

Under the FSP, the P3,000 monthly food credits are used to purchase products comprising 50 percent carbohydrates, 30 percent protein and 20 percent fiber, as per the recommendation of the FNRI.

The credits are given through electronic benefit transfer (EBT) cards that beneficiaries could use to buy select nutritious food commodities.

Gatchalian underscored that to combat hunger, the expansion of the FSP must be scaled up.

The scaled-up implementation of the FSP aims to reach 300,000 households with the distribution of EBT cards by the end of the year, another 300,000 by 2025 and 400,000 more in 2026 to be able to reach the target of one million household beneficiaries.