Romero pushes measure on gov’t food stamp program for the poor

1PACMAN party-list Rep. Mikee Romero has filed a proposed measure to assist the disadvantaged sectors by tapping the Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) and the Department of Agriculture (DA).

House Bill No. 8532 seeks to supplement all poor families’ intake and to possibly diminish and in time completely eliminate hunger in urban and rural communities.

“This comprehensive food stamp program, as proposed and executed in other countries, are actually agricultural programs. They aim to link rural surpluses with foodpoor urban communities. This way, we could effectively address both urban poverty and rural poverty,” Romero said.

Under the House bill, the DSWD should integrate its planned food stamp program with efforts by the agriculture department to expand the market for local farm products.

By Charles Dantes

“As the lead agency in social welfare and development, the DSWD would formulate policies and plans which provide direction to intermediaries and other implementers in the development and delivery of social welfare and development services,” the lawmaker said.

The proposed measure aims to create a comprehensive Food Stamp Program with the protocol and mechanics that there shall be benefit cards or tap cards loaded with food credits amounting to P5,000, and that the beneficiaries could use the cards to buy a select list of healthy products from DSWD-accredited local retailers. Beneficiaries could choose from a list of different food groups, and the program would be conditional and have a work component, signing up would need to find work to keep the benefits; and the beneficiaries are families whose income does not go beyond P8,000 a month. Rio N. Araja formance. Those are decreasing productivity, climate change, diminishing natural resources, and our market is also changing,” President Marcos said.

“But through the years, the DA banner programs and projects have continuously provided farm inputs, credit assistance, equipment, machinery, production and post-harvest facilities.That also includes farm-to-market roads and our irrigation to improve our productivity,” he added.

The President said that the DA will continue to come up with programs to advance agri-fishery practices, improve the competitiveness of the country’s agri-fishery products, and further boost the income of Filipino farmers and fisherfolk. Vine Lopez

By Rio N. Araja