The Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) continues to be decisive in addressing involuntary hunger by providing food assistance as well as transforming the way Filipino families think about nutrition.
DSWD spokesperson Asst. Secretary Irene Dumlao said that through the Walang Gutom Program (WGP), the Department is teaching beneficiaries how to make better food choices and prepare healthy meals for their family through its Nutrition Education Sessions (NES)—a key component of the program.
“Noong binubuo namin itong programa, isa sa mga importanteng pinagtuunan ng pansin ay paano natin mababago ang pananaw ng mga pamilyang Pilipino na hindi porke mura ay hindi na masustansya at masarap. Kaya kasama ang NES sa kondisyon bago sila makapag ‘redemption’ o yung time na bibili na sila ng food items sa DSWD-accredited retailers,” Asst. Secretary Dumlao said on Tuesday (July 15).
One of the activities in the monthly NES is classifying food into ‘go, grow, and glow’ categories and developing affordable menus for families, according to the DSWD spokesperson.
The WGP provides Php3,000 worth of monthly food credits via an electronic benefit transfer (EBT) card, which can be used to buy healthy food items from DSWD-accredited stores.
Fifty percent of the food credit is used to purchase carbohydrates such as rice, sweet potato, among others, while 30 percent is intended for protein food items, and 20 percent on fibers such as fruits and vegetables.
The DSWD spokesperson said the NES was deliberately included in the program to promote long-term behavioral change.
WGP beneficiary Renelyn Deramas, mother to seven children, thanked the Walang Gutom Program because it enabled her family to eat a balanced diet of nutritious foods.
“Ngayon nakakain na ang aming pamilya—mga gulay, masustansyang pagkain. Ang ulam lang namin dati isang [noodles], isda na isang piraso, hinahati-hati pa namin. Sa ngayon, nagpapasalamat talaga ako na napakalaking tulong po sa aming mag-anak, na mag stay ito na programa. Kung ano gusto namin kainin, ’yon ang nakakain namin, tulad ng gulay, masustansya, mga bigas na isang araw [lang dati ang nakakain], tatlong beses na namin nakakain,”Renelyn narrated.
Another beneficiary, Candice Jhoy Maturan, echoed the sentiments of Renelyn.
Candice Jhoy, a solo parent from Washington, Surigao del Norte, is grateful to the WGP program which helped her take better care of her children, including the two kids who are persons with disabilities.
“Mas nabibigyan ko na ng tamang nutrisyon ang aking mga anak. Ang budget na dati ay para sa pagkain, nagagamit ko na rin sa pagbili ng gamot para sa aking mga anak na persons with disability,” Candhice Jhoy said.
Currently, the WGP has enrolled 300,000 households. An additional 300,000 food-poor families will be added by the end of 2025.
“The goal is to reach 600,000 food-poor families by the end of 2025. Before President Marcos steps out of office in 2028, we are targeting to reach 750,000 food-poor families,” Asst. Secretary Dumlao explained.
While the numbers are important, the DSWD spokesperson emphasized that the success of the program also lies in changing the beneficiaries’ mindsets and habits.
“Ultimately, ang tunay na laban sa gutom ay hindi lang pagbibigay ng pagkain, kundi pagtuturo kung paano ito gawing masustansya at sapat para sa buong pamilya,” Asst. Secretary Dumlao said.
Launched in 2023, and institutionalized in 2024 by virtue of Executive Order (EO) No. 44, the WGP is the flagship anti-hunger program of the Philippine government, which is aligned with the goal of President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr. to address food insecurity in the country. (YADP)