WFP and the OPEC Fund enhance partnership on food security and nutrition in the Philippines
DUBAI – On Saturday, the United Nations World Food Programme (WFP) and the OPEC Fund for International Development (OPEC Fund) signed an agreement for a US$500,000 grant in support of the Philippine Government’s Walang Gutom 2027 (No Hunger) food e-voucher programme pilot, co-designed by WFP.
The OPEC Fund Director-General Abdulhamid Alkhalifa met with WFP on the sidelines of the United Nations Climate Change Conference (COP28) in Dubai and expressed the OPEC Fund’s support in combating global food insecurity and hunger. This follows a Memorandum of Understanding signed between the OPEC Fund and WFP in June 2023.
“WFP welcomes the support of the OPEC Fund for the Philippines’ Walang Gutom 2027 food e-voucher pilot. An innovative solution to combat hunger in the poorest households in the Philippines, programme participants are given Electronic Benefit Transfer cards which allow them to have a regular shopping experience, without having to wait long hours in line to receive food vouchers. WFP is fully committed to supporting the Philippine Government’s priority programmes on food security and nutrition,” said Dipayan Bhattacharyya, WFP Philippines County Director and Representative, a.i.
Under the Walang Gutom 2027 food e-voucher programme, targeted communities are given Electronic Benefit Transfer cards loaded with US$55 (PHP 3,000) as food credit. These cards may only be used to buy food from accredited retailers. This modality allows easier access to affordable, healthy and locally available diverse food sources.
The programme pilot will prioritize poor households with pregnant and breastfeeding women and children under 5 who are part of the bottom 1 million households in the government’s poverty database, as validated by WFP and the Philippines’ Department of Social Welfare and Development.
On top of the US$500,000 contribution from the OPEC Fund, the food e-voucher programme is supported through grants from [SK1] the Asian Development Bank, the Japan Fund for Prosperous and Resilient Asia and the Pacific, and the Agence Française de Développement.
Walang Gutom 2027 is a flagship programme of the national Government through Executive Order No. 44 signed by President Ferdinand Marcos Jr.
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The United Nations World Food Programme is the world’s largest humanitarian organization saving lives in emergencies and using food assistance to build a pathway to peace, stability and prosperity for people recovering from conflict, disasters and the impact of climate change.
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