The Walang Gutom 2027: Food Stamp Program (FSP) will surely be implemented in 2024, an official of the Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) said on Monday.
This after the Department of Budget and Management (DBM) committed to provide the budgetary requirements for the implementation of the FSP next year.
“We already met with the Department of Budget and Management and they committed to provide for the financial budgetary requirements of the program. So, we’re very happy that this will be implemented next year,” DSWD Undersecretary for Innovations Eduardo Punay said in a statement.
With President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr.’s issuance of Executive Order (EO) No. 44 which establishes the FSP as a flagship program of the current administration, the DSWD is assured of a working budget to reach more food poor families next year.
“Ang ating projected budget po next year, for the second half po ng ating implementation…matatapos iyong pilot natin. May at June ang ating review, and then July na iyong implementation natin noong 300,000 scale-up (Our projected budget for next year for the second half of implementation…pilot implementation will be finished. Our review will be in May and June and then July is the implementation of 300,000 scale-up) and that will require us PHP6 billion in budget po next year (Our projected budget for next year is only for the second half of our implementation…our pilot will end. Our review is in May and June, and then in July we will implement the 300,000 scale-up and that will require us PHP6 billion in budget next year),” Punay said.
The FSP aims to fight involuntary hunger by providing food augmentation to the bottom 1 million households based on Listahanan 3, who belong to the food-poor criteria as defined by the Philippine Statistics Authority, including pregnant and nursing mothers.
The program, which is currently being implemented in Tondo, Manila and Dapa, Siargao, will have its full rollout in December that will also include San Mariano town in Isabela province; Gato De Rena in Camarines Sur and Parang in Maguindanao. (PNA)