Mechanisms are in place to ensure that beneficiaries of the Walang Gutom Program, launched to fulfill President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr.’s vision of eliminating involuntary hunger, can become self-sufficient before graduating from the program.

Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) Secretary Rex Gatchalian on Tuesday said that though participation in the WGP has an “exit,” the program ensures that beneficiaries are already earning enough to support and feed their families independently before leaving the program.

“Nakatutok rin kami doon sa exit mechanism kasi panandaliang pantawid lamang itong programa na ito; ang pangmatagalan, trabaho,” Gatchalian said in a press briefing in Malacañang.

Gatchalian said the government will help food-poor families learn valuable skills through the Technical Education and Skills Development Authority (TESDA) and provide work opportunities via job fairs conducted by the Department of Labor and Employment (DOLE).

“Importante, ngayon na nakakakain na kayo, dapat samahan na ninyo kami sa productive workforce para makapagtrabaho tayo. At kapag may karagdagang income or stable income na sa pamilya ay puwede nang mag-exit,” Gatchalian stressed.

Even after exiting the program, WGP beneficiaries will undergo annual community-based monitoring and participate in the Family Income and Expenditure Survey, both conducted by the Philippine Statistics Authority.

“Itong mga ito ay enough para makita namin kung itong mga pamilya na ito ay maka-categorize pa natin na food poor,” Gatchalian noted. | PND