Recognizing the direct, immediate, and positive impact of the Walang Gutom Program, President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr. has ordered its urgent expansion to reach more poor families, Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) Secretary Rex Gatchalian said on Tuesday.

“That’s why sa instruction ng ating Pangulo, dapat sa mabilis na panahon palawakin iyong programa kasi nakita na natin doon sa first 300,000 (families) na iyong intervention works,” Gatchalian said in a press briefing in Malacañang.

“So ngayon kapag pinalawak pa natin iyong programa at maabot natin iyong 750,000 (families), alam natin na it will also work lalung-lalo na sa mga food-poor families,” Gatchalian added.

The DSWD’s Walang Gutom 2027: Food Stamp Program, commonly known as the Walang Gutom Program (WGP), will be intensified and expanded to cover 750,000 food-poor families.

Currently, the DSWD chief said the program benefits 300,000 families. Another 300,000 beneficiary families are expected to be added within the year.

He noted that another 150,000 families will be covered by the program next year.

One of the flagship programs of the DSWD in partnership with Globe Telecom, the WGP has been effective in addressing food insecurity in the country based on the results of a survey conducted last year.

The survey conducted by the Social Weather Stations showed a decline in the hunger level of WGP beneficiaries, as the share of households experiencing “moderate” hunger dropped by 4.1 percentage points, from 48.7 percent in October 2024 to 44.6 percent in December 2024. | PND