P74.6-B food stamp project OK'd by NEDA

AN upgraded food stamp project costing P74.6 billion has been approved by the National Economic and Development Authority (NEDA) Board as part of the government's efforts to address hunger and nutritional challenges in the country.

The Reducing Food Insecurity and Undernutrition with Electronic Vouchers (Refuel) project, which will be implemented beginning July this year up to July 2028, is an upgrade of the Philippine Food Strategic Transfer and Alternative Measures Program (Stamp). It will be spearheaded by the Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD).

Stamp was piloted last year and its Refuel iteration will be under the flagship Walang Gutom (No Hunger) 2027 initiative that aims to benefit 750,000 households. Stamp beneficiaries will continue to be covered by the new program, the NEDA said.

The NEDA Board approval was the last before a name change to the Economy and Development Council under Republic Act 12145, which renamed the NEDA as the Department of Economy, Planning and Development. The law will take effect on April 27.

"By approving the Refuel project, the government demonstrates its unwavering commitment to fight food insecurity and undernutrition," Socioeconomic Planning Secretary Arsenio Balisacan said in a statement.

"The program reflects a renewed focus toward ending involuntary hunger, uplifting vulnerable communities and promoting resilience through smart, nutrition-sensitive social protection," the NEDA chief added.

Three out of 10 Filipino households experience moderate to severe food insecurity based on a 2023 survey by the Department of Science and Technology, the NEDA said, while three out of every 100 households face severe food insecurity.

By digitizing voucher distribution and leveraging the DSWD's database, Refuel is expected to ensure the timely delivery of assistance, particularly in regions prone to climate- and disaster-related shocks.

Balisacan said the project was also an opportunity to boost the country's human capital given a push to improve basic and functional literacy. The Philippine Statistics Authority was said to have presented the results of the 2024 Functional Literacy, Education and Mass Media Survey, which pointed to critical gaps, during the NEDA Board meeting.

Funding for the Refuel project will come from the Asian Development Bank, Agence Française de Développement and the Organization of the Petroleum Exporting Countries Fund for International Development.

Aside from the enhanced food stamp program, the NEDA Board also approved an upward revision to the cost, scope, loan validity and implementation period of the Kaliwa Dam project.

The changes, requested by the Metropolitan Waterworks and Sewerage System, raised the cost to the project to P15.3 billion from P12.25 billion.

Nearly a quarter (24.8 percent) complete as of December last year, the Kaliwa Dam is expected to provide an additional 600 million liters of raw water per day for the National Capital Region and the provinces of Rizal and Cavite.

Lastly, the NEDA Board also approved an updated list of the government's Infrastructure flagship projects, which now total 207 instead of 186. Of these eight "high-impact and urgently needed projects" have already been completed, the NEDA said.

The NEDA Board is chaired by President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. Balisacan is the vice chairman and its members include the executive secretary and secretaries of the Finance, Trade, Agriculture, Environment, Public Works, Budget, Labor and Local Government departments.