The government is set to expand food and nutrition assistance to about 750,000 low-income households through a EUR200-million financing facility for the Reducing Food Insecurity and Undernutrition with Electronic Vouchers (REFUEL) Project.
The Department of Finance (DOF) and French development agency Agence Française de Développement (AFD) formalized the financing partnership, with the Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) implementing the program with co-financing from the Asian Development Bank (ADB).
Under REFUEL, qualified families will receive monthly electronic food vouchers redeemable at accredited retailers, giving vulnerable households faster and more direct access to nutritious food.
“Vulnerable families will have direct, dignified, and timely access to nutritious food. By digitizing this process, we ensure that assistance is both transparent and highly efficient,” Finance Secretary Frederick D. Go said.
The program goes beyond food distribution by pairing vouchers with nutrition and livelihood interventions. Beneficiaries will receive guidance on maternal and child nutrition, hygiene, healthy meal planning, and opportunities to develop income-generating activities.
The approach reflects a broader shift in social protection policy toward combining immediate assistance with measures that can improve household resilience and earning capacity.
French Ambassador Marie Fontanel said the partnership reflects the Philippines’ effort to integrate social protection with wider climate and sustainable development priorities.
AFD Country Director for the Philippines Benedicte Gazon said the program would address the social dimension of development by supporting vulnerable communities and promoting greater inclusion.
For the government, the digital delivery of food assistance could also improve transparency and efficiency while making benefits easier to access for families facing food insecurity.
Go thanked AFD for its continued support, saying international partnerships remain important in advancing the country’s development priorities.
The REFUEL program is expected to provide a wider safety net for vulnerable households while linking food assistance to longer-term improvements in nutrition, livelihoods, and economic resilience.
