The Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) is set to expand the coverage of the Walang Gutom Kitchen in the Visayas, Mindanao, and certain areas in Manila, a social welfare official said on Monday.
“Nagpapatuloy din po iyong iba pang mga programa ng amin pong kagawaran. Nandiyan iyong Walang Gutom (program). Nandiyan din iyong Walang Gutom Kitchen na ini-implement po natin dito sa Kamaynilaan,” DSWD Assistant Secretary Irene Dumlao said in a press briefing in Malacañang.
“We’re looking at expanding the implementation of this program. Tinitingnan din natin na magkaroon din tayo ng Walang Gutom Kitchen sa parte ng Visayas at Mindanao and sa northern area po ng Maynila,” she said.
Dumlao said the expansion is to speed up the delivery of the government’s anti-hunger measures.
DSWD’s Walang Gutom, or Food provision through Strategic Transfer and Alternative Measures Program (Food STAMP), is one of the agency’s new flagship programs to reduce incidence of involuntary hunger experienced by low-income households and make them productive citizens of the country.
President Marcos had said earlier that “walang gutom means no more hunger.”
“That is the dream of this administration. That is what we are hoping to achieve in this administration by the end of 2028. We say that we have done everything to reduce hunger and poverty in our country and to be able to ensure that we can provide a good and healthy and productive life for our people,” the President said during the Walang Gutom program pilot launch in July 2023 in Tondo, Manila.
Reiterating President Marcos Jr.’s steadfast commitment to fight poverty and hunger, Dumlao also said the agency is looking at expanding the Pantawid Pamilyang Pilipino Program (4Ps) to help children improve their school performance and productivity.
Dumlao said the DSWD is also partnering with other agencies such as the Department of Labor and Employment (DOLE) to open up job opportunities to 4Ps members under the administration’s Bagong Pilipinas campaign.
Based on latest data, Dumlao said the DSWD, together with its partners, has so far conducted nine job fairs with more than 400 applicants securing jobs on the spot.
In addition, over 3,000 4Ps beneficiaries received job offers from different organizations.
“We adapt the whole-of-government approach, the whole-of-society approach, sapagkat hindi lamang po gobyerno ang may responsibilidad sa pagtugon sa problema ng kagutuman at kahirapan. Kasama po natin ang pribadong sektor,” she said.
Dumlao also reported the agency will digitalize registration, accreditation, and licensing of social welfare and development agencies to effectively provide social welfare assistance to the poor, vulnerable, and marginalized. | PND
