DBM approves P6-B allotment for food stamp program

The Department of Budget and Management (DBM) has allocated P6 billion for the Department of Social Welfare and Development’s (DSWD) scaled-up implementation of the government’s food stamp program starting next year.

Speaking at a news forum in Quezon City on Saturday, Social Welfare Undersecretary Eduardo Punay said the DBM approval followed President Marcos’ issuance of Executive Order No. 44, which designated the “Walang Gutom 2027: Food Stamp Program” as a flagship project of the administration.

“Our projected budget for next year—the implementation is for the second half because our pilot ends in May and June is the review, and then July is the implementation—and that will require P6 billion next year,” Punay said.

“We already met with the DBM 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, we really have a working budget already thanks to EO 44,” he added.

The DSWD is still in the pilot implementation of the food stamp program, which will run until the middle of next year.

The agency’s target is 3,000 families in five pilot sites, which include households in Tondo in Manila; Dapa in Siargao; San Mariano in Isabela; Garchitorena in Camarines Sur; and Parang in Maguindanao del Norte.

The pilot sites were earlier identified by the DSWD together with its partner-implementer, the United Nations World Food Programme. Punay said the pilot program was also partly funded by the $3-million grant from the Asian Development Bank. INQ