By Junex Doronio
MANILA — In line with the “marching order” of President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr., Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) Undersecretary for Innovations Edu Punay has disclosed that the agency will start this month the validation and registration of some 300,000 families who will comprise the beneficiaries of the “Walang Gutom 2027: Food Stamp Program (FSP)” during its full-scale implementation in July.
“As you know we are in our pilot implementation of the Food Stamp Program. But come July ay mag full-scale implementation na tayo sa 21 provinces in 10 regions in the country identified by the Department as priority areas,” Punay said during the Saturday News Forum at the Dapo Restaurant in Quezon City.
Punay told reporters that the DSWD has hired the needed staff, about 1,000 validators, to conduct the validation and registration of beneficiaries in the FSP sites.
“Very hands on po si Pangulong Marcos, nagbigay po siya ng inputs niya sa design. Pinakialaman ng ating Pangulo ang design. Mga three or four times naming na-present sa kanya ang programa,” Punay said.
He also revealed that the FSP’s design is very meticulous.
Aside from the technical assistance provided by development partners such as the World Food Programme (WFP) and the Asian Development Bank (ADB), PBBM also gave his inputs, the DSWD official claimed.
Punay said the President wanted the FSP to focus not just on addressing hunger but also on promoting nutrition among the beneficiaries to prevent stunting.
“Gusto po niya ay hindi lamang sagutin ang gutom kundi gusto niyang pakaiinin ng masustansya ang mga benepisaryo,” Punay pointed out.
(el Amigo/MNM)
