The government’s “Walang Gutom” 2027: Philippine Food Stamp Program implemented by the Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) will benefit 3,787 food-poor Antiqueños.

The program that literally means zero hunger targets Filipinos suffering from involuntary hunger due to a lack of food resources. They will be provided with electronic benefit transfer (EBT) cards in order to access nutritious food.

“The beneficiaries could use their EBT monthly to avail of PHP3,000 worth of food credit from the accredited retailers,” DSWD program information officer Lovella Mondana said in an interview Monday.

The food redemption activity started with 119 beneficiaries in the town of Sebaste on Jan. 16 and 170 beneficiaries in Pandan on Jan. 18.

There will be 279 beneficiaries In San Jose de Buenavista and 189 in Patnongon on Tuesday.

“There will be rice, beef, poultry, and eggs as among the healthy and nutritious food that will be made available by the retailers for the beneficiaries to choose from during the food redemption activity,” Mondana said.

The beneficiaries were chosen through the DSWD Listahanan (Listing) 3 or the National Household Targeting System, which identifies the poorest of the poor.

“The program will run for three years and after which the beneficiaries will also be validated if their situations already improved for them to exit,” Mondana said.

The program does not include beneficiaries of the conditional cash transfer Pantawid Pamilyang Pilipino Program. (PNA)