The pilot implementation of the food stamp program, which seeks to address involuntary hunger, is set in July, the Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) said Monday.

“We are planning to schedule the pilot implementation next month,” DSWD spokesperson Assistant Secretary Romel Lopez told dzBB.

“Under this pilot implementation, we have already identified the areas where we will conduct it. In the NCR (National Capital Region), we will implement in Tondo so there will be an urban setting. In Caraga so we can have a rural setting. In BARMM (Bangsamoro Autonomous Region of Muslim Mindanao (BARMM). In Mimaropa, so we can have a setting which is part of the GIDA (geographically isolated and disadvantaged areas) or the isolated islands,” he added.

Lopez said that the program will be tested on 5,000 individuals for six months.

The National House of Targeting System for Poverty Reduction will identify the beneficiaries who are among the food poor, or those earning below P8,000, he said.

He said beneficiaries will be given electronic budget transfer (EBT) cards containing P3,000 that could be used to purchase nutritious food by swiping or tapping the card at the cash register of the DSWD’s merchandise partners.

“Our merchandise partners will have a list of items that the beneficiaries can purchase. If what they purchase is not within the allowed items, the transaction would not push through. So you cannot withdraw using this. This is not convertible to cash,” he said.

Lopez said the food stamp program will have a duration of four years and will have an allocation of P40 billion.

“This program is based on the trust given by our President Ferdinand Marcos, Jr. to make sure that we fight against hunger,” Lopez said over dzBB.

Lopez said beneficiaries will be required to look for jobs or start a business to stay in the program.

“We encourage the people who are part of the program to at least enroll in TESDA (Technical Education and Skills and Development Authority). This also includes them tapping into DOLE (Department of Labor and Employment) to search for jobs. They can also ask help from the Department of Agriculture for the farming skills of those who are in the rural setup,” he said.

“So what we can see here is that while the government is providing aid, in return, we will ask for deliverables. So that in the long run, they can be a productive member of society. Either you work or set up your own business, and you can help the economy so that the investment of the government will be returned,” he added. Jaspearl Tan/DMS