ANTIQUE – Food stamp redemption under the Walang Gutom Program (WGP) has commenced in this province.
The Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) Region 6 led the food redemption activity for household beneficiaries from Sebaste town on Thursday, January 16, following the release of Electronic Benefit Transfer (EBT) cards amounting to P3,000 per household per month.
Around 119 household beneficiaries from Sebaste were targeted to benefit from the said food assistance.
Earlier last week, household beneficiaries from Batad and Pototan towns in Iloilo Province received food assistance loaded onto their EBT cards.
A total of 14,193 poor families or low-income households across Iloilo and Antique provinces were targeted to avail of the WGP, with 10,406 beneficiaries in Iloilo and 3,787 in Antique.
The Walang Gutom Program is a flagship government initiative aimed at addressing hunger among vulnerable families.
It is responsible for providing monetary-based assistance in the form of an EBT.
The card shall be utilized as digital means for the provision of food to beneficiaries through a monetary-based assistance.
The EBT cards can be used to purchase various food items in partner merchants such as small and medium enterprises (SMEs), supermarkets, and Katuwang sa Diwa and Gawa (KADIWA) para sa Masaganang Ani at Mataas na Kita.
Only food items that are recommended by the Food and Nutrition Research Institute (FNRI) may be purchased.
The creation of the Walang Gutom National Program Management Office (NPMO) shall streamline and harmonize the operation, implementation, initiates, and activities under the Walang Gutom Program to ensure the achievement of its target goals and objective.
Under the program, the DSWD will provide EBT cards that will be loaded with food credits amounting to P3,000 per month to purchase selected list of goods commodities from DSWD-registered or-accredited retailers./PN
