By Ruth Abbey Gita-Carlos | Philippine News Agency
President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr. on Wednesday served free meals and distributed gifts to walk-in clients at the Walang Gutom Kitchen in Pasay City as part of the government’s efforts to address involuntary hunger and support individuals and families in street situations.
In line with the yuletide spirit of generosity and hope, Marcos served meals to beneficiaries and handed out gifts, underscoring the administration’s commitment to protecting the most vulnerable sectors.
The activity coincided with the holiday season, the first anniversary of the Walang Gutom Kitchen, and the inauguration of the Pag-abot Processing Center (PPC).
Implemented by the Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD), the Walang Gutom Kitchen operates under the Pag-abot Program, serving as a community-based food bank that provides free, nutritious meals to 250 to 300 walk-in clients daily during breakfast and lunch.
Most beneficiaries are children, individuals, and families living in street situations, who become walk-in beneficiaries of the Pag-abot Program once they express their willingness to be reached out to by social workers.
Meanwhile, the Pag-abot Processing Center, a temporary shelter facility with a 180-bed capacity, formally opened to provide interim shelter, recovery, protection, and home-life care services to children, individuals, and families in street situations.
The facility was constructed in April 2024 through a memorandum of agreement with the assistance of the Office of the President, with renovations completed later that year.
The Pag-abot Program aims to reduce the risks and vulnerabilities of children, individuals, and families in street situations by providing comprehensive social protection services and opportunities to help them live safely and productively.
Since its implementation in April 2023, the Pag-abot Program has provided services or interventions to 6,554 families in street situations (FISS), 1,169 individuals in street situations (ISS), and 535 children in street situations (CISS).
