MANILA – President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr. declared his aspiration to eradicate hunger in the Philippines as his administration’s lasting legacy.
Speaking at the Walang Gutom Awards in Malacañang, Marcos emphasized that his dream is for “no more hungry Filipinos.”
Highlighting data from the Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD), Marcos noted that around three million households still experience involuntary hunger.
To combat this, he issued Executive Order No. 44 in October last year, launching the “Walang Gutom 2027: Food Stamp Program.”
This program, led by the DSWD, provides monetary aid to beneficiaries for purchasing food from designated stores and monitors progress in addressing hunger and malnutrition.
Marcos stressed the crucial role of local government units (LGUs) in implementing anti-hunger initiatives at the grassroots level. He acknowledged that LGUs possess valuable insights into local hunger issues and can develop effective, area-specific strategies.
At the event, Marcos recognized 10 LGUs with exceptional anti-hunger and food security efforts in the inaugural Walang Gutom Awards.
The winners include:
Barangay Level: Barangay Commonwealth, Quezon City; Barangay Naggasican, Santiago City
Municipal Level: Asuncion, Davao Del Norte; Palompon, Leyte; Bacnotan, La Union
City Level: Kidapawan City, Cotabato; Bago City, Negros Occidental; Cadiz City, Negros Occidental; Mati City, Davao Oriental
Provincial Level: Biliran
Each winning LGU received PHP2 million from the DSWD’s Sustainable Livelihood Program (SLP), while the seven finalists received PHP1 million each.
The Walang Gutom Awards, a collaboration between the DSWD and the Galing Pook Foundation, aims to highlight and replicate successful LGU practices to achieve national food security and eliminate hunger by 2027.
(el Amigo/mnm)
