The Marcos Administration is set to carry out its new "Walang Gutom 2027: Food Stamp Program" (FSP) flagship program by the middle of 2024 after the Department of Budget and Management (DBM) recently approved its budget, the Presidential Communication Office (PCO) said.

The PCO said this after President Marcos issued Executive No. 44 early this month, promoting the said program of the Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) into a flagship program.

Citing an interview with DSWD Undersecretary Edu Punay, the PCO said the program's implementation will start by the second half of next year after the review of its pilot by June 2024.

"July na iyong implementation natin noong (We will implement in July the) 300,000 scale-up, and that will require us P6 billion in budget po next year," Punay said in a news forum in Quezon City on Saturday, Oct. 21.

"We already met with the [DBM], and they committed to provide for the financial budgetary requirements of the program," he added.

According to the PCO, the agency's target is 3,000 families in five pilot sites: Tondo, Manila; Dapa, Siargao; San Mariano, Isabela; Garchitorena, Camarines Sur; and Parang, Maguindanao.

"Ito po iyong na-identify kasama ng partner-implementer natin na (UN) World Food (Programme) na mga pilot sites (These are the pilot sites we've identified with our partner-implementer, the UN World Food Programme)," Punay said, noting that the pilot will be funded through a grant by the Asian Development Bank (ADB).

Under EO 44, the DSWD is tasked to undertake the necessary steps for the FSP's successful implementation and expansion, including the identification of eligible beneficiaries and collaboration with relevant stakeholders to ensure efficient and timely distribution and use of food stamps.

The "Walang Gutom 2027: Food Stamp Program" aims to decrease the incidence of voluntary hunger experienced by low-income households by providing monetary-based assistance through Electronic Benefit Transfer (EBT) cards that can be used in purchasing select food commodities from eligible partner merchant stores.

Its implementation aligns with the Philippines' commitment to realize the United Nations Sustainable Development Goal No. 2 of ending hunger, achieving food security, improving nutrition, and promoting sustainable agriculture by 2030.