As part of an initiative to fight involuntary hunger among low-income households, the Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) started distributing electronic benefit transfer (EBT) cards to select impoverished residents of Leyte.
At least 152 beneficiaries comprise the first batch to receive redemption cards for the Walang Gutom 2027, or the Food Stamp Program in Eastern Visayas.
They were selected based on household income, assets, and other factors.
Under the program, each family gets P3,000 per month on their EBT card for three years.
This is expected to be used for buying food supplies broken down as P1,500 for carbohydrates (50 percent), P900 for protein (30 percent), and P600 for fats, oil, and other dietary fibers (20 percent).
Not A Doleout
DSWD made clear that these cards may only be used to redeem food supplies from 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,” Undersecretary Eduardo Punay, for DSWD Innovations and Project Development cluster, said.
However, other locals are adamant about the said project.
While its intentions are good, others are concerned about its effect.
"Give a man a fish and you feed him for a day. Teach him how to fish and you feed him for a lifetime. This is sad as this may back fire. 4Ps pa ngan la damo na an naging hubya, how much more ini nga ig huhungit na ha ira," a local government worker voiced out.
"This time the government is doing their part, I just hope that the public will not use this as an excuse to solely rely on the government only to later blame the same government for any minor 'inconvenience'," netizen Ivan said.
Photo courtesy of DSWD
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