PEOPLE EMPOWERMENT. Department of Social Welfare and Development-Region 5 Director Norman Laurio (left) reports on the programs and accomplishments of the agency during the 3rd edition of the Kapihan sa Bagong Pilipinas with Philippine Information Agency (PIA) Bicol Regional Director Ramil Marianito (right) in Legazpi City on Tuesday (June 11, 2024). He said the various programs empower poor families to increase their economic and social well-being and become active participants in community development. (PNA photo by Connie Calipay)
LEGAZPI CITY – A total of 30,555 families in the Bicol region will benefit from the ongoing implementation of the Food Stamp Program (FSP) of the Department of Social Welfare and Development-5 (DSWD-Bicol).
During Tuesday's Kapihan sa Bagong Pilipinas, DSWD-5 Regional Director Norman S. Laurio said the FSP has a budget allocation of PHP91.6 million for 2024 and is one of the priority programs of the Marcos administration to address involuntary hunger by providing food assistance.
"The program will provide households with better access to nutritious food through food credit assistance using an electronic benefit transfer (EBT) card pre-loaded with food credits worth PHP3,000 per month. This initiative is expected to decrease hunger and malnutrition and create opportunities for local farmers to market their products," Laurio said.
He said the food credits can be used to purchase various nutritious food items from the three food groups consisting of 50 percent carbohydrates (Go food group), 30 percent protein (Grow), and 20 percent fiber (Glow) from DSWD-accredited stores.
Laurio also said for 2025, the agency aims to assist 74,448 families in the region with a budget of PHP2.6 billion for the scale-up of FSP in the six provinces.
DSWD-5 also reported that 9,917 minimum wage earners in Bicol had received financial assistance from the Ayuda para sa Kapos ang Kita Program (AKAP), another poverty reduction program of the Marcos administration.
"This program aims to mitigate the effects of inflation, and the government, through DSWD Bicol, has already provided PHP 29.7 million in financial assistance to our beneficiaries in the Bicol region," he said.
Laurio said more informal workers, such as carpenters, helpers, tricycle drivers, salespeople, and others, will receive aid before 2024 ends through the AKAP program.
He said DSWD-5 continues to provide immediate relief and early recovery to disaster victims and survivors in the region, which is prone to strong typhoons and home to two active volcanoes.
The "Kapihan sa Bagong Pilipinas" is a synchronized event conducted in different regions across the country that aims to enhance public understanding and engagement with the programs and projects of the different implementing agencies at the grassroots level. (PNA)
