The Department of Social Welfare and Development’s (DSWD) Walang Gutom Kitchen (WGK) served free meals to its clients last May 29 (Friday) through the generosity of Mighty and Strong (MAS) Food Corporation.

During the ceremonial turnover of donations, Undersecretary Eduardo Punay of the DSWD’s Innovations and Program Development Group (IPDG) expressed the Department’s gratitude to the MAS Food Corporations for supporting the WGK.

The IPDG undersecretary said the support from the private sector helps DSWD to fulfil the vision of President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr. for a zero-hunger Philippines by the end of his term in 2028.

“We are very grateful to MAS Food for this donation. We don’t call it a donation, we call it a partnership talaga. When we started this program (Walang Gutom Kitchen), the First Lady [Louise Araneta-Marcos] opened this facility back in December 2024. The objective is clear, pursuant to the campaign promise of the President to end hunger, involuntary hunger,” Undersecretary Punay said on Friday.

The soup kitchen, located at the Nasdake Building in Pasay City, serves free and nutritious hot meals for breakfast starting at 6:00 a.m. and for lunch at 11:00 a.m., Monday to Sunday.

“It provides free food—breakfast and lunch—to families and individuals in street situations (FISS) or even low-income workers around the metro,” the IPDG official pointed out.

The MAS Food Corporation donated 8,000 packs of easy-to-cook chicken cabbage soup, chicken potato soup, vegetable soup, and chicken carrot soup intended for the beneficiaries of the WGK.

Representatives of the food company also served as volunteers for the day as food and water servers, registration personnel, and crowd control personnel.

According to Undersecretary Punay, eradicating hunger among Filipino families requires assistance from the private sector, like the MAS Food Corporation.

“Ang mindset po talaga namin when we started this ay, the government cannot do it alone. The fight against hunger requires a whole-of-nation approach and strategy, so we need the private sector to help us in this campaign. We are very grateful every time we have this kind of partnership,” Undersecretary Punay said.

Cecile Sugay of the MAS Food Corporation said they were happy to learn the WGK’s operations and their company would like to be a part of the kitchen’s vision and objective of providing food to all individuals experiencing involuntary hunger.

“Nakakatulong tayo sa talagang nangangailangan, mga nagugutom. Hindi namimili kung sinong puwedeng matulungan, kahit sino puwede. That is why we wanted to be part of that objective and we wanted to be part of that vision,” Ms. Sugay said.

The WGK is one of the innovations of DSWD Secretary Rex Gatchalian that addresses involuntary hunger as well as the reduction in food wastage by turning donated surplus food from hotels, restaurants, and organizations into hot meals for individuals experiencing hunger.

The kitchen continues to operate through donations from both public and private sector partners, as well as the support from volunteers who render services at the facility. (YADP)