In its final meeting before transitioning to the Economy and Development (ED) Council, 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 on Wednesday, April 23.
As Republic Act No. 12145, also known as the Economy, Planning, and Development Act, comes into effect on April 27, 2025, the NEDA Board will be rebranded as the ED Council, continuing under the leadership of the President.
NEDA Secretary Arsenio M. Balisacan expressed that the approval of the REFUEL project underscores the government’s unwavering commitment to addressing food insecurity and undernutrition. “By approving this project, the government reaffirms its dedication to combating hunger, uplifting vulnerable communities, and promoting resilience through innovative, nutrition-sensitive social protection programs,” he said.
REFUEL is an enhancement of the former Philippine Food Strategic Transfer and Alternative Measures Program (STAMP). The program will be spearheaded by the Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) and will continue to be part of the Walang Gutom (Zero Hunger) 2027 Food Stamp Program, a key initiative of the Marcos Administration.
According to the 2023 National Nutrition Survey by the Department of Science and Technology’s Food and Nutrition Research Institute, nearly 30% of Filipino households face moderate to severe food insecurity, with 3% experiencing severe food insecurity.
The REFUEL project aims to scale up the Walang Gutom Program for the period of 2025 to 2028, targeting 750,000 food-insecure households identified through the DSWD’s Listahanan 3 database. The project will extend coverage to the same group of beneficiaries previously served by the Philippine Food STAMP.
“The goal of REFUEL is to strengthen our shock-responsive social protection systems,” Balisacan explained. “By ensuring the timely distribution of food vouchers, the project will help Filipinos facing hunger and nutritional challenges, especially in the context of rising climate and disaster risks.”
The REFUEL project will be implemented from July 2025 to July 2028, following the pilot rollout of the Philippine Food STAMP late last year. The project is estimated to cost PHP 74.6 billion, with funding from the Asian Development Bank, Agence Française de Développement, and the Organization of the Petroleum Exporting Countries Fund for International Development.
In addition to the approval of the REFUEL project, the NEDA Board also reviewed the results of the 2024 Functional Literacy, Education, and Mass Media Survey (FLEMMS), presented by the Philippine Statistics Authority (PSA). Balisacan noted that the REFUEL initiative could contribute to the country’s efforts to enhance human capital by improving literacy levels in the coming years.
The NEDA Board also approved a request from the Metropolitan Waterworks and Sewerage System (MWSS) for an increase in the total project cost, a change in project scope, and an extension of the loan validity and implementation period for the New Centennial Water Source – Kaliwa Dam Project.
The revised total cost for the Kaliwa Dam project now stands at PHP 15.3 billion. Once completed, the dam will provide an additional 600 million liters of raw water per day, benefiting the National Capital Region and the provinces of Rizal and Cavite. As of December 2024, over 24.8% of the physical construction has been completed.
Furthermore, the NEDA Board approved an updated list of the government’s Infrastructure Flagship Projects, which now includes 207 initiatives—up from the previous 186. Notably, eight high-impact, urgently needed projects have already been completed since 2023.
