Manila Times
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Tuesday, May 06, 2025
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Philippines Approves Enhanced Food Stamp Initiative to Combat Food Insecurity
The NEDA Board, led by President Marcos, greenlights the REFUEL project aimed at addressing hunger and undernutrition through electronic vouchers.
On April 23, 2025, the National Economic and Development Authority (NEDA) Board, chaired by President Ferdinand R. Marcos, Jr., approved the Reducing Food Insecurity and Undernutrition with Electronic Vouchers (REFUEL) Project.
This decision came during its final meeting prior to the transition to the Economy and Development (ED) Council, mandated by the upcoming implementation of Republic Act No. 12145, effective April 27, 2025.
The REFUEL project is part of the government's ongoing commitment to address food insecurity and undernutrition in the Philippines.
NEDA Secretary Arsenio M. Balisacan highlighted the project as a significant step towards combating involuntary hunger, enhancing resilience in vulnerable communities, and promoting nutrition-sensitive social protection.
REFUEL will build on the previous Philippine Food Strategic Transfer and Alternative Measures Program (STAMP) and will be integrated within the _Walang Gutom_ (Zero Hunger) 2027 Food Stamp Program.
The initiative aims to support 750,000 food-insecure households as identified through the Department of Social Welfare and Development's (DSWD) Listahanan 3 database, extending the coverage of beneficiaries from the previous food stamp program.
According to the 2023 National Nutrition Survey conducted by the Department of Science and Technology’s Food and Nutrition Research Institute, approximately 30% of Filipino households experience moderate to severe food insecurity, with 3% facing severe food insecurity.
The REFUEL initiative will operate from July 2025 to July 2028, following a pilot rollout of the former Philippine Food STAMP. The project is estimated to require PHP74.6 billion, with financing from multiple international organizations, including the Asian Development Bank, Agence Française de Développement, and the Organization of the Petroleum Exporting Countries Fund for International Development.
Balisacan noted that the project will enhance social protection systems by ensuring swift delivery of aid to those in need, especially in the face of increasing climate and disaster risks.
In addition to the REFUEL project, the NEDA Board reviewed the latest findings of the 2024 Functional Literacy, Education and Mass Media Survey (FLEMMS) presented by the Philippine Statistics Authority (PSA).
Balisacan indicated that the REFUEL initiative also represents an opportunity to enhance human capital and improve the basic and functional literacy of the population.
Moreover, the NEDA Board approved an expansion in project scope and funding for the Metropolitan Waterworks and Sewerage System's New Centennial Water Source – Kaliwa Dam Project, increasing its total project cost to PHP15.3 billion.
The Kaliwa Dam is expected to contribute an additional 600 million liters of raw water per day to the National Capital Region and the surrounding provinces of Rizal and Cavite, with over 24.8% of physical construction completed as of December 2024.
Alongside these initiatives, the NEDA Board endorsed an updated compilation of the government's Infrastructure Flagship Projects, expanding the total from 186 to 207, with eight high-impact projects already completed since 2023.
This decision came during its final meeting prior to the transition to the Economy and Development (ED) Council, mandated by the upcoming implementation of Republic Act No. 12145, effective April 27, 2025.
The REFUEL project is part of the government's ongoing commitment to address food insecurity and undernutrition in the Philippines.
NEDA Secretary Arsenio M. Balisacan highlighted the project as a significant step towards combating involuntary hunger, enhancing resilience in vulnerable communities, and promoting nutrition-sensitive social protection.
REFUEL will build on the previous Philippine Food Strategic Transfer and Alternative Measures Program (STAMP) and will be integrated within the _Walang Gutom_ (Zero Hunger) 2027 Food Stamp Program.
The initiative aims to support 750,000 food-insecure households as identified through the Department of Social Welfare and Development's (DSWD) Listahanan 3 database, extending the coverage of beneficiaries from the previous food stamp program.
According to the 2023 National Nutrition Survey conducted by the Department of Science and Technology’s Food and Nutrition Research Institute, approximately 30% of Filipino households experience moderate to severe food insecurity, with 3% facing severe food insecurity.
The REFUEL initiative will operate from July 2025 to July 2028, following a pilot rollout of the former Philippine Food STAMP. The project is estimated to require PHP74.6 billion, with financing from multiple international organizations, including the Asian Development Bank, Agence Française de Développement, and the Organization of the Petroleum Exporting Countries Fund for International Development.
Balisacan noted that the project will enhance social protection systems by ensuring swift delivery of aid to those in need, especially in the face of increasing climate and disaster risks.
In addition to the REFUEL project, the NEDA Board reviewed the latest findings of the 2024 Functional Literacy, Education and Mass Media Survey (FLEMMS) presented by the Philippine Statistics Authority (PSA).
Balisacan indicated that the REFUEL initiative also represents an opportunity to enhance human capital and improve the basic and functional literacy of the population.
Moreover, the NEDA Board approved an expansion in project scope and funding for the Metropolitan Waterworks and Sewerage System's New Centennial Water Source – Kaliwa Dam Project, increasing its total project cost to PHP15.3 billion.
The Kaliwa Dam is expected to contribute an additional 600 million liters of raw water per day to the National Capital Region and the surrounding provinces of Rizal and Cavite, with over 24.8% of physical construction completed as of December 2024.
Alongside these initiatives, the NEDA Board endorsed an updated compilation of the government's Infrastructure Flagship Projects, expanding the total from 186 to 207, with eight high-impact projects already completed since 2023.
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