By Brian Campued
In continued support to the long-time aspiration of President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr. to end involuntary hunger and ensure that no Filipino goes hungry in “Bagong Pilipinas,” the Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) is set to open its “Walang Gutom” Kitchen (WGK) in the Visayas this February.
In a news release Friday, the DSWD said it is preparing to open its second WGK in Mandaue City, Cebu during the month.
According to DSWD Innovations and Program Development Group, Usec. Edu Punay, they also plan to establish a food bank in Mindanao.
“Iyon muna, isa sa Luzon, Visayas, [at] Mindanao before we slowly scale up. Kung saan napakataas ng incidence ng involuntary hunger, doon natin balak itayo ang ating kitchen,” Punay said in an interview over PTV’s “On Assignment”, which aired Feb. 3.
Currently, the only soup kitchen in the country is being operated at the Nasdake Building, a former Philippine offshore gaming operator hub in Pasay City.
Launched in December 2024, the WGK is among the DSWD’s innovative programs and is part of the flagship Walang Gutom Program (WGP) of the Marcos Jr. administration as well as the Pag-abot Program, which reaches out to homeless Filipinos.
Aside from addressing involuntary hunger, the initiative also helps reduce food wastage by turning donated surplus food from DSWD’s partners in the private sector into healthy hot meals for the beneficiaries.
In 2025, the WGK served a total of 200,003 meals to 142,246 unique and returning clients, including families and individuals in street situations.
-jpv
