Latest news with #WalangGutomProgram
GMA Network
28-07-2025
- Business
- GMA Network
SONA 2025 by the numbers
President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. delivered his fourth State of the Nation Address (SONA) on Monday, laying out his plans for the last three years of his administration. The 2025 SONA lasted for 1 hour and 11 minutes, starting at exactly 4:06 p.m. until 5:17 p.m. Among the promises he delivered is the expansion of the P20 per kilo subsidized rice nationwide and providing internet access to all public schools in the country before the end of 2025. Here is a breakdown of Marcos' SONA promises by the numbers: Economy 2.5 million: Number of Filipino families the government targets to assist in establishing small businesses 200: Number of plants the government is targeting to provide electricity to 4 million Filipino homes 4 million: Number of households the President is eyeing to energize before the end of his term 1 million: Additional number of households to be provided with electricity by 2028 using solar power Food and hunger alleviation P20: Price of subsidized rice per kilo nationwide 600,000: Number of food-poor households targeted under the Walang Gutom Program by 2025 750,000: Targeted Walang Gutom Program beneficiaries by 2028 P1 billion: Promised budget for the feeding programs for daycare centers and public schools Agriculture 15 million: Number of hybrid and high-quality sedlings the administration aims to plant nationwide 100 million: Target number of coconut trees the government wants to plant across the country Education P1 billion: Promised funding for the establishment of 300 barangay child development centers and 'Bulilit Centers' in the country 40,000: Number of classrooms the government is eyeing to build before the end of the administration P60 billion: Budget for free tertiary education and technical vocation (tech-voc) programs in the country Transportation 0 — fees for 'Love Bus' service 3 days —Waiting period for the release of motor vehicle plates Infrastructure 32 kilometers —Length of the proposed Bataan-Cavite Interlink Bridge that will connect Mariveles, Bataan to Naic, Cavite. It will shorten travel time from five hours to 45 minutes. 45 minutes —Travel time from Bataan to Cavite after the completion of the proposed Bataan-Cavite Interlink Bridge —LDF, GMA Integrated News
GMA Network
12-07-2025
- Business
- GMA Network
DSWD to register 750K 'food poor' families for Walang Gutom Program in 2026
The Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) is targeting to register a total of 750,000 food-poor families for the Walang Gutom Program (WGP) by next year. "Right now, we're currently serving 300,000 households, and then before the end of the year, we're planning to add an additional 300,000, and then by next year, 150,000," said DSWD spokesperson Assistant Secretary Irene Dumlao in a Dobol B TV interview on Saturday. "Kinakailangan po natin mag-register ng karagdagan sa taon po na ito," Dumlao added. (We need to register more this year.) Dumlao said the 750,000 households were based on the list from DSWD and the Philippine Statistics Authority (PSA). Currently, the Walang Gutom Program (WGP), which highlights the P20 per kilo rice, is implemented only in Metro Manila, Cebu, and the CARAGA region, Dumlao said. Poor families in the BARMM are also set to be given priority, the DSWD spokesperson said. "Actually, bibigyan din sila ng prayoridad, Isinaayos lang 'yung specific areas, tapos 'yung number, and then tinignan din sino-sino 'yung accredited merchants. And then based naman po doon sa ating pakikipag-usap sa DA, bibilisan po na 'yung pag-supply doon sa bigas, doon sa ating mga merchants para ma-implement na po natin," she said. (Actually, they will be given priority, specific areas are being arranged, their number, and the accredited merchants. Based on our discussions with the DA, we will speed up the supply of rice to our merchants so that we can implement it.) Beneficiaries of the program may avail themselves of the P20 per kilo rice using their electronic benefit transfer (EBT) card, which is similar to a debit card loaded with P3,000 every month. —Jamil Santos/ VAL, GMA Integrated News
GMA Network
07-07-2025
- Business
- GMA Network
Walang Gutom Program beneficiaries can use EBT card to buy P20/kg rice — DSWD
Beneficiaries of the Walang Gutom Program (WGP) may avail the P20 per kilo rice using their electronic benefit transfer (EBT) card, according to the Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD). According to Dano Tingcungco's Monday report on '24 Oras,' an EBT card is similar to a debit card loaded with P3,000 per month. The card can be used to buy food included in DSWD's pre-identified food group from Kadiwa-accredited retailers. The available food products can provide the required carbohydrates and proteins for a family's dietary needs. 'Restricted yung menu ng food stamps natin. Binibigyan natin ng kapangyarihang pumili ang mga pamilya. Alam natin sa carbohydrates may bigas at sweet potato. Samu't saring carbohydrates na pwede nilang pagpilian so may portion dun na napupunta sa bigas,' Social Welfare Secretary Rex Gatchalian said. (Our food stamp menu is restricted. We give families the power to choose. We know that carbohydrates include rice and sweet potatoes. They have a variety of carbohydrates to choose from, so a portion of that goes to rice.) The WGP beneficiaries are guided in choosing the food they will purchase. A receipt will be handed out to them after they check out at a kiosk. The beneficiaries do not need to max out the P3,000 credit, but it's better to maximize the amount since it aims to address zero hunger. The DSWD said beneficiaries cannot also ask for an advance credit and will have to wait for another month before the balance in the card is topped up. Minimum wage earners can also buy the P20 kilo rice even without the EBT. For now, 10 kilos of rice can be bought per person, but the government aims to have an additional kilo in the next months. It is being implemented with the coordination of their employers. DSWD said about 120,000 minimum wage earners are benefiting from the P20 kilo rice program, but the government aims to have one million beneficiaries before the year ends. Meanwhile, at least 300,000 Walang Gutom Program beneficiaries are benefiting from the P20 kilo rice program. —Mariel Celine Serquiña/RF, GMA Integrated News
GMA Network
07-07-2025
- Business
- GMA Network
DSWD: Food stamp beneficiaries may now avail of P20 rice in accredited stores
Beneficiaries of the government's food stamp program may now avail of the P20 per kilogram subsidized rice in accredited retailers, according to the Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD). On Monday, Social Welfare Secretary Rex Gatchalian led a food redemption activity for the Walang Gutom Program (WGP) beneficiaries in Tondo, Manila, where the department also launched the 'Benteng Bigas, Meron na sa WGP' program. Under the program, accredited suppliers and retailers of the Department of Agriculture, including Kadiwa outlets, will now be able to sell P20 rice to WGP beneficiaries during redemption days. 'Ngayong araw, sinimulan na natin na magkaroon ng availability ng P20 na bigas sa ating mga WGP beneficiaries,' said Gatchalian. (Starting today, the P20 rice will be available to WGP beneficiaries.) 'Kung matatandaan ninyo, utos ng ating Pangulo na itong P20, dapat ang nakikinabang dyan ay pinaka-vulnerable sa ating mga mamamayan. Kung ilalagay sa kontekesto, ang WGP beneficiaries, sila yung food poor o pinakamahirap sa pinakamahirap,' he said. (If you can remember, the President said that the P20 rice should benefit the most vulnerable Filipinos. Putting into context, the WGP beneficiaries are the poorest of the poor in the country.) At least 300,000 food-poor Filipinos are currently enrolled under the WGP. According to Gatchalian, the number of beneficiaries are poised to reach 750,000 by 2026. Gatchalian also said the DSWD is pilot testing the 'Benteng Bigas, Meron na sa WGP' in some areas in the country including Tondo. Other areas are Cebu and Caraga. WGP Dubbed as "Walang Gutom 2027: Food Stamp Program," the project aims to assist targeted households to address involuntary hunger in the country. The DSWD earlier said it would provide "electronic benefit transfer (EBT) cards" that will be loaded with food credits amounting to P3,000 per month to purchase a select list of food commodities from the DSWD registered or accredited local retailers. Some conditions for the WGP beneficiaries include attending nutrition classes and having one employed family member who can later take skills upgrade training under the Department of Labor and Employment, or Technical Education and Skills Development Authority. — Sundy Locus/RSJ, GMA Integrated News
GMA Network
03-06-2025
- Business
- GMA Network
DA to supply P20/kilo of rice to DSWD-listed retailers — Sec. Gatchalian
The Department of Agriculture will supply P20 per kilo of rice to accredited retailers of the Department of Social Welfare and Development for their food program, DSWD Secretary Rex Gatchalian said Tuesday. At a Palace press briefing, Gatchalian said those classified as ''food poor'' beneficiaries usually avail food commodities from DSWD-registered or accredited retailers. Amid the government's P20 per kilo of rice program, Gatchalian said the DA would provide rice to these listed retailers. ''Remember 'yung mga food poor natin, nag-a-avail sila sa mga accredited retailers, normally mga Kadiwa ng Pangulo, mga maliliit na agriculture coops, mga MSMEs... 'yan 'yung isa pong benepisyo ng programa na 'to eh, natutulungan 'yung local economy kasi doon rin bumibili 'yung mga food poor natin na benepisyaryo,'' Gatchalian said. (Remember for our food poor, they can avail from accredited retailers such as the Kadiwa ng Pangulo, small agriculture cooperatives and MSMES... that's one of the benefits of this program, they can also help the local economy because those food poor beneficiaries usually buy from them.) ''Ang hiningi sa amin ng Department of Agriculture 'yung listahan ng mga retailer para puwede nilang supplyan noong P20/kilo na bigas. Kasi kung tatandaan niyo 'yung food credit tatlong libo 'yun, so kung bumaba 'yung cost ng mga bilihin like 'yung rice, mas marami silang mabibili. Ngayon ginagamit na nila 'yung food credits na 'yun sa mga accredited retailers. Ang magiging bagong dimension nito, susupplyan ng Department of Agriculture 'yung mga retailers na 'yun noong murang bigas,'' he added. (The DA has asked a list of retailers from us so they can supply P20 per kilo of rice. If you remember, the food credit is worth P3,000 and if the cost of commodities would be lower, they can buy more food items. They use these food credits on accredited retailers. The new dimension is that the DA will supply cheaper rice to our accredited retailers.) The P20 per kilogram rice program is currently being rolled out to vulnerable sectors, and has been recently expanded to minimum wage earners. Households of qualified beneficiaries may purchase up to 30 kilograms of rice per month. The DSWD has since implemented the Walang Gutom Program, which is a partnership between the government and the private sector, with an aim to address involuntary hunger and to help minimize food wastage in the country. The program was in line with the country's commitment to realize the United Nations Sustainable Development Goal No. 2 to end hunger, achieve food security, improve nutrition, and promote sustainable agriculture by 2030. Hunger incidence Meanwhile, hunger incidence has dropped among the beneficiaries of the DSWD's Walang Gutom Program. ''Ang unang 300,000 na miyembro nitong program na ito ay nakakakain na ng maayos at unti-unti nang bumababa ang incidence ng kagutuman among the food poor,'' Gatchalian reiterated in the briefing. (The first 300,000 members of this program can eat sufficiently and the hunger incidence has since dropped among food poor.) To recall, the DSWD partnered with telecommunications company Globe and poll firm Social Weather Stations to address food insecurity in the country. A two-wave study was carried out to alleviate hunger among Filipino families. The survey result showed that the share of households experiencing hunger dropped by 4.1 percentage points from 48.7% in October 2024 to 44.6% in December of that year. The field work was conducted from October 7 to 18, 2024 and from December 1 to 10, 2024. It covered a total of 3,991 respondents from 33 provinces across the Philippines. — RSJ, GMA Integrated News
