For the first time in Philippine history, the national government has launched a comprehensive program designed specifically to eliminate hunger, Social Welfare Secretary Rex Gatchalian said Saturday, July 25.
Because hunger is the most severe form of poverty, President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr.’s directive to the Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) is clear: by 2028, no Filipino should go hungry under the “Walang Gutom” flagship anti-hunger program.
“Pwede natin ‘to sabihin with an absolute certainty. Walang administrasyon ang nagsabi na meron siyang malawakang anti-hunger program. Anti-poverty meron, pero anti-hunger wala,” Gatchalian said.
The social welfare chief made the statement in an interview on DZRH News program Special on Saturday as part of the DZRH SONA 2026 Series, the last episode before the President’s State of the Nation Address on Monday, July 27.
“Baliwala ang paglago ng ekonomiya kung may nagugutom. Ibig sabihin, may porsyento o may segment ng ating bayan na hindi tinatamasa ‘yung paglago ng ating ekonomiya,” Gatchalian said.
The Marcos administration’s Walang Gutom program has two components: the Walang Gutom Food Stamp Program for 750,000 food-poor families, and the Walang Gutom Kitchen, the country’s flagship government soup kitchen.
The Food Stamp Program targets families earning less than 9,000 pesos per month, identified through data from the Community-Based Monitoring System and the Department of Economy, Planning, and Development.
Each family receives P3,000 in monthly food credits loaded onto an ATM card, redeemable at accredited small agriculture cooperatives nationwide.
“May parang ATM card sila, nilo-load natin ng food credits ‘yan na tig-tatlong libo kada buwan. Pupunta sila sa pinakamalapit na mga agri-coop, hindi ‘yung mga grocery,” Gatchalian said.
The food credits follow the Pinggang Pinoy nutritional guide: 50% for carbohydrates, 30% for protein, and 20% for dietary fiber, with beneficiaries free to choose what they buy within those limits.
“50% ng 3,000 puwede gamitin sa carbohydrates, 30% sa protein, 20% sa dietary fiber. Binibigyan natin sila ng layang pumili, but within those limits,” Gatchalian said.
The Walang Gutom Kitchen, the program’s second component, is a soup kitchen and food bank that opened in December 2024, currently operating in Pasay, Cebu, and Zamboanga.
Director Marilyn Moral of the Social Technology Bureau confirmed the kitchens are open 365 days a year, including Christmas, New Year, and weekends, with no requirement to prove poverty to walk in.
“When we started Walang Gutom Kitchen up until now, we have served 300,000-plus meals covering the areas present ngayon: Pasay, Cebu, and Zamboanga. And in a day, around 300, minsan 600 pa ho,” Moral said.
Gatchalian said the kitchen serves not only the food-poor but also workers experiencing food insecurity, citing tricycle drivers who during the energy crisis were taking home as little as 200 pesos a day.
“Ang battle cry nga namin diyan: ending hunger, one kitchen at a time. Sa bawat kusina na bubuksan natin, hindi lang naman ‘yung pisikal ang inaayos natin eh, kundi ‘yung dignidad nu’ng individual,” Gatchalian said.
