DSWD鈥檚 ‘Walang Gutom Kitchen’ should be expanded nationwide 鈥撀燭iangco
ENSURING THE NEXT MEAL The electronic transfer card issued to the “Walang Gutom Kitchen” program beneficiaries is loaded with a monthly food stipend of P3,000 and can be used at government-run Kadiwa outlets or partner stores designated by the Department of Social Welfare and Development. — MARIANNE BERMUDEZ
MANILA, Philippines — The Department of Social Welfare and Development’s (DSWD) “Walang Gutom Kitchen” (no hunger) program should be expanded nationwide to help underserved communities, Navotas City Rep. Toby Tiangco said on Wednesday.
In a statement, Tiangco said DSWD’s program is “good” and the agency should study whether this should be implemented in different areas nationwide.
“We fully support the program as it is in line with the President’s call to fight hunger and poverty,” he added.
Under the program, DSWD collates food donations from hotels and restaurants that were not consumed for the day but are still edible and safe for consumption.
Last January 11, DSWD said they plan to expand the Walang Gutom Kitchen to different provinces in 2025, after seeing the success of the initiative. Currently, the kitchen is located at Nasdake Building in Pasay City.
Article continues after this advertisementREAD: DSWD eyes expanding ‘Walang Gutom’ Kitchen to provinces in 2025
Article continues after this advertisementAccording to Social Welfare Undersecretary Edu Punay, the expanded program will prioritize areas with high poverty incidence like provinces in the Bangsamoro Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao, the provinces of Leyte and Samar, and those in Bicol Region.
Tiangco said many Filipinos still suffer from hunger, and with the program, the government hits two targets: reducing hunger and avoiding food wastage.
“Expanding this program will greatly benefit those in poor communities,” he said.
“The program not only addresses hunger but also helps deter food wastage by turning surplus food into meals for those in need,” he added.
Last October 2024, polling firm Social Weather Stations (SWS) released survey results indicating that 22.9 percent of Filipino families experienced involuntary hunger, which is the highest since the country got a 30.7 percent figure in September 2020 during the COVID-19 pandemic.
READ: Hunger among Filipinos remains at its highest since 2020 – SWS poll
Last Tuesday, the SWS said hunger rates were at 25.9 percent for the final quarter of 2024.
READ: Hunger among Filipinos hits new high in Q4 2024 – SWS survey
Despite programs and interventions from the government, prices of goods have remained high. During the hearing of the House of Representatives’ quinta committee on Wednesday, the Department of Agriculture (DA) said they are looking at lowering rice prices by setting a maximum suggested retail price (MSRP) of P58 per kilogram for premium grains.
READ: DA aims lower rice prices by setting maximum SRP for premium grains
According to Agriculture Undersecretary Asis Perez, making high-class varieties cheaper would also impact regular-milled rice, and bring their prices down.
Lawmakers, however, questioned the DA as to how they came up with the MSRP, with some fearing that it was pulled out of thin air.
