Marcos urges LGUs to adopt, enhance anti-hunger initiatives

President Ferdinand "Bongbong" Marcos Jr. on Wednesday called on local government units to adopt or enhance projects that aim to address hunger and nutrition challenges in communities.

Marcos said this during the awarding of the Walang Gutom Awards (WGA), which recognizes local government units with outstanding anti-hunger initiatives and practices on food security, at the Ceremonial Hall in Malacañang Palace.

"Indeed, we need more LGUs like you to achieve our mission of Walang Gutom by 2027, and I pray that this year's awards will also spur and inspire other LGUs to replicate your successes across the country," Marcos said in his speech.

"So now I invite all our LGUs to look at these outstanding programs of our nominees. See how and why their programs work and examine whether you can adopt or improve these further to apply them in your communities," he added.

Marcos said the national government would be taking notes on what needs to be done as regards addressing hunger on the national level.

"If we are truly to succeed in this endeavor, we must put in a whole-of-nation approach to create a lasting solution to this great challenge," the President said.

"I call upon our government and our partners from the private sector, from the nonprofit organizations, citizens, our friends from the international community, and citizens to work together as a united front and Walang Gutom advocates," he added.

The Walang Gutom Awards is a collaboration of the Department of Social Welfare and Development and the Galing Pook Foundation, which aims to honor the best practices of localities when it comes to addressing food security and nutrition challenges in communities.

The awardees include Barangay Commonwealth, Quezon City; Barangay Naggasican, Santiago City; Asuncion, Davao Del Norte; Palompon, Leyte; Bacnotan, La Union; Kidapawan City, Cotabato; Bago City, Negros Occidental; Cadiz City, Negros Occidental; Mati City, Davao Oriental; and the province of Biliran.

Each winner received P2 million worth of funds from the DSWD's Sustainable Livelihood Program, which they can use to expand their anti-hunger program.

Last May, pollster Social Weather Stations (SWS) said Filipino families which experienced involuntary hunger, meaning being hungry and not having anything to eat, increased to 14.2%.

The SWS survey, conducted last March 21 to 25, showed that the 14.2% Filipino families who had involuntary hunger was higher than the December 2023 figure of 12.6% and the highest since May 2021 when it reached 16.8%.

Three days after the SWS survey results were released, the DSWD said the Walang Gutom 2027 food stamp program targets to address the food insecurity and hunger faced by Filipinos.

Under the Walang Gutom 2027 program launched in September 2023, beneficiaries will receive an electronic benefit transfer card containing P3,000 worth of food credits given monthly. Beneficiaries are required to undergo nutrition sessions before they can receive the card. — VDV, GMA Integrated News