The Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) continues to strengthen President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr. administration’s fight against involuntary hunger through the Walang Gutom Program (WGP) and the nationwide expansion of the Walang Gutom Kitchen (WGK).
“Under the administration of President Marcos Jr., we will ensure that that no Filipino family is left behind in the fight against hunger, wala nang batang bansot o stunted dahil sa kakulangan sa kaalaman ng pamilya sa tamang nutrisyon, at wala nang pamilya ang mag-iisip kung may kakainin ba sila kinabukasan (no child shall be stunted due to the lack of knowledge of families on proper nutrition, and no family will worry if they will have anything to eat the following day),” DSWD spokesperson Assistant Secretary Irene Dumlao said in a news release on Monday.
Dumlao said the DSWD has on-boarded 600,000 household beneficiaries to the WGP as of May 31 from the 750,000 food-poor target households nationwide.
She said WGP beneficiaries are provided with monthly PHP3,000 food credits that they can use to purchase balanced and nutritious food from accredited retailers.
“Fifty percent for carbohydrates like sweet potato, bread, o rice; 30 percent for protein, ito yung mga karne, pwedeng baboy, manok, baka; at 20 percent naman for dietary fibers like prutas o gulay (these are meats like pork, chicken or beef; and 20 percent is for dietary fibers like fruits or vegetables),” Dumlao said.
To help families achieve long-term self-sufficiency, all household-beneficiaries also participate in Kalusugan, Kakayahan, at Kabuhayan (3K) sessions, where they are provided with practical knowledge on healthy food choices, proper nutrition, livelihood opportunities, and other capacity-building interventions that promote improved well-being.
The DSWD official pointed out that the program also helps build a sustainable farm-to-table ecosystem by linking small farmers, farmers’ cooperatives, and community-based organizations as accredited retailer partners.
“What makes the Walang Gutom Program unique is that it benefits not only food-poor households but also our local farmers, cooperatives, and community organizations,” Dumlao said.
Complementing the WGP is the WGK, the country’s first government-run soup kitchen and food bank.
The DSWD spokesperson said the initiative addresses hunger among families in street situations and other individuals by giving free hot meals while helping reduce food waste.
The DSWD expanded the initiative with the opening of WGKs in Cebu City on June 22 and Zamboanga City on June 29, in addition to the first kitchen in Pasay City.
From December 2024 to June 2026, the kitchens served 302,561 hot meals to 219,304 individuals, including children, adults and families experiencing hunger.
The DSWD is also set to open a WGK in Quezon City, Catbalogan City in Samar and Butuan City in Surigao this year.
“A total of 12 Walang Gutom Kitchens are targeted to be operational before June 2028 so that more individuals and families experiencing involuntary hunger can receive food assistance,” the DSWD spokesperson pointed out. (PNA)
