MANILA, Philippines — More than 41,000 new beneficiaries of the Department of Social Welfare and Development’s (DSWD) Walang Gutom Program (WGP) have received affordable and nutritious food items from partner merchants and retailers during the program’s first redemption day, held nationwide from January 3 to 22.

According to Assistant Secretary Irene Dumlao, the new beneficiaries were able to use P3,000 worth of food credits, loaded onto their Electronic Benefit Transfer (EBT) cards, for the first redemption day. 

These individuals are part of the first 300,000 households in the target pool of 750,000 total WGP household-beneficiaries, she said.

Beneficiaries who were unable to participate in the initial redemption days can avail of the affordable and nutritious food from February 10 to 28, depending on the scheduled redemption day in their respective areas.

In a recent interview, Secretary Rex Gatchalian said that President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr. has directed the DSWD to review the current food credit amount and assess whether adjustments are necessary.

“Naatasan din tayo ng Pangulo na pag-aralan pa na mabuti kaya may panibagong pilot train na tatakbo this year mula Enero hanggang July, kung saan tinitignan natin dahil sa taas ng presyo ng bilihin yung P3,000 pa ba ay sapat pa o kailangan nang i-adjust,” Secretary Gatchalian said. 

The WGP, institutionalized as the government’s flagship anti-hunger program through Executive Order No. 44, was initially piloted in 2023 with over 2,000 household-beneficiaries across the country.

“The WGP aims to bring down the incidence of involuntary hunger experienced by Filipinos from low-income households,” Asst. Secretary Dumlao added.