DSWD says budget assured for flagship anti-hunger program

The Department of Social Welfare and Development on Monday expressed its gratitude to the Department of Budget and Management for its commitment to provide the budgetary requirements for the implementation of the Walang Gutom 2027: Food Stamp Program (FSP) in 2024.

"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.

With President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr.'s issuance of Executive Order 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.

"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 P6 billion in budget next year," Punay explained.

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 and will include San Mariano town in Isabela province, Gato De Rena in Camarines Sur and Parang in Maguindanao.