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Advocates Philippines
Marcos Launches E-Vouchers To Fight Hunger Nationwide
Photo credit: PCO
President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. is taking another big step toward ending hunger in the Philippines — this time through technology.
On Thursday, the President rolled out electronic food vouchers for around 750,000 beneficiaries of the Walang Gutom Program (WGP), a key government effort to make sure no Filipino family goes hungry.
Speaking at the launch of the Reducing Food Insecurity and Undernutrition with Electronic Vouchers (REFUEL) Project at the San Andres Sports Complex in Manila, Marcos expressed optimism that hunger levels will continue to go down by year-end.
“Patuloy ang ating pagbigay ng tulong sa ating mga kababayan na nangangailangan,” the President said.
“Dahan-dahan pong natutupad ang pangarap ng inyong Pangulo — at ng bawat Pilipino — na wala nang pamilyang nagugutom.”
Under the new system, low-income households will receive ₱3,000 worth of digital food credits every month, which they can use to buy nutritious food.
The Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) is working with the Asian Development Bank (ADB) to expand the program to reach 750,000 households nationwide by 2026.
The ₱74-billion REFUEL Project is supported by a loan from the ADB, with co-financing from the Agence Française de Développement and the OPEC Fund for International Development.
According to the DSWD, the project will not only provide food aid but also promote better nutrition habits and stronger social protection systems from 2025 to 2028.
DSWD Secretary Rex Gatchalian said the new initiative represents a “milestone” in their mission to modernize food aid and ensure every Filipino family has access to healthy, affordable meals.
“This partnership with the ADB reflects President Marcos Jr. and the DSWD’s vision of a Philippines where no one goes to bed hungry,” Gatchalian said.
“Through the REFUEL Project, we are expanding the reach and impact of the Walang Gutom Program so that more families can have access to nutritious food.”
Recent data also shows the program is working. A Social Weather Stations (SWS) survey commissioned by Globe and Monde Nissin found that hunger among WGP beneficiaries dropped to 41.5% in March 2025, down from 48.7% in October 2024.
The biggest improvement was seen in the Bangsamoro Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (BARMM)-Plus area, where hunger rates fell by 17.4 percentage points.
Slowly but surely, the government’s dream of a “Walang Gutom na Pilipinas” is becoming more real — one digital food voucher at a time.
On Thursday, the President rolled out electronic food vouchers for around 750,000 beneficiaries of the Walang Gutom Program (WGP), a key government effort to make sure no Filipino family goes hungry.
Speaking at the launch of the Reducing Food Insecurity and Undernutrition with Electronic Vouchers (REFUEL) Project at the San Andres Sports Complex in Manila, Marcos expressed optimism that hunger levels will continue to go down by year-end.
“Patuloy ang ating pagbigay ng tulong sa ating mga kababayan na nangangailangan,” the President said.
“Dahan-dahan pong natutupad ang pangarap ng inyong Pangulo — at ng bawat Pilipino — na wala nang pamilyang nagugutom.”
Under the new system, low-income households will receive ₱3,000 worth of digital food credits every month, which they can use to buy nutritious food.
The Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) is working with the Asian Development Bank (ADB) to expand the program to reach 750,000 households nationwide by 2026.
The ₱74-billion REFUEL Project is supported by a loan from the ADB, with co-financing from the Agence Française de Développement and the OPEC Fund for International Development.
According to the DSWD, the project will not only provide food aid but also promote better nutrition habits and stronger social protection systems from 2025 to 2028.
DSWD Secretary Rex Gatchalian said the new initiative represents a “milestone” in their mission to modernize food aid and ensure every Filipino family has access to healthy, affordable meals.
“This partnership with the ADB reflects President Marcos Jr. and the DSWD’s vision of a Philippines where no one goes to bed hungry,” Gatchalian said.
“Through the REFUEL Project, we are expanding the reach and impact of the Walang Gutom Program so that more families can have access to nutritious food.”
Recent data also shows the program is working. A Social Weather Stations (SWS) survey commissioned by Globe and Monde Nissin found that hunger among WGP beneficiaries dropped to 41.5% in March 2025, down from 48.7% in October 2024.
The biggest improvement was seen in the Bangsamoro Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (BARMM)-Plus area, where hunger rates fell by 17.4 percentage points.
Slowly but surely, the government’s dream of a “Walang Gutom na Pilipinas” is becoming more real — one digital food voucher at a time.
Oct 16, 2025
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