Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) Secretary Rex Gatchalian on Friday emphasized the crucial role that communities play in the government’s “whole-of-nation” initiative in trying to end hunger and achieving food security.
“We can never end poverty overnight, but we can win the long fight against it by winning the small battles along the way,” Gatchalian said in his keynote address during the Zero Hunger Summit held at the Ateneo de Manila University.
The DSWD chief stressed that government cannot do it alone and needs the assistance of community leaders, barangay leaders, youths and other members of the society in mitigating hunger in the country.
“What we need you to do is organize farming groups that can set up farming community stores where we can accredit you, make you a merchant so that our beneficiaries can go there to buy delicious, nutritious, and affordable food,” he pointed out.
In his presentation, the DSWD secretary also highlighted the WALANG GUTOM 2027: Food Provision through Strategic Transfer and Alternative Measures Program (Food STAMP Program), a new initiative of the administration of President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr. aimed at achieving zero hunger and food security by 2027.
One of the goals of the program is the household behavioral change by conducting nutrition education in the communities.
“We really need help in trying to organize nutrition classes in the community. Kasi kung gusto natin ng (Because if we want) behavioral change, we have to do communication that will make our families understand the value of buying right and eating right,” Gatchalian said.
He also pointed out that hunger is a multi-dimensional problem that cannot be solved by just providing food.
Ending hunger also involves other aspects such as a clean environment to prevent the spread of diseases, and food production interventions like post-harvest facilities, among others, he said.
Food Stamp Program: A new initiative
Meanwhile, the pilot implementation of the Food Stamp Program will be launched on July 18 in Tondo, Manila.
The new initiative aims to provide electronic benefit transfers that will be loaded with food credits amounting to PHP3,000 to purchase a select list of food commodities from DSWD accredited local retailers.
The program intends to target the bottom 1 million households from Listahanan 3 who belong to the food-poor criteria as defined by the Philippine Statistics Authority.
The DSWD has identified pilot sites coming from different geopolitical characteristics: one in geographically isolated regions or provinces; one in urban poor settings; one will be a calamity-stricken area; and one will be a rural poor area. (PNA)
