𝗙𝗜𝗚𝗛𝗧𝗜𝗡𝗚 𝗖𝗛𝗔𝗡𝗖𝗘: 𝗗𝗦𝗪𝗗 𝗘𝘅𝗽𝗮𝗻𝗱𝘀 𝗔𝗻𝘁𝗶-𝗛𝘂𝗻𝗴𝗲𝗿 𝗗𝗿𝗶𝘃𝗲 𝘁𝗼 𝟲𝟬𝟬,𝟬𝟬𝟬 𝗙𝗮𝗺𝗶𝗹𝗶𝗲𝘀 𝗕𝗲𝗳𝗼𝗿𝗲 𝗬𝗲𝗮𝗿-𝗘𝗻𝗱

The push against food insecurity gains a major lift as the Department of Social Welfare and Development ramps up the Walang Gutom Program (WGP) to reach 600,000 households nationwide by the end of 2025. With another 300,000 families newly enrolled, the initiative now stretches across 12 regions and more provinces, marking one of the largest hunger-mitigation expansions under the Marcos administration. DSWD Undersecretary Edu Punay said the scale-up reflects the urgency of addressing chronic hunger among families who still struggle to eat more than once or twice a day.

The program’s rapid expansion became possible after tapping an Asian Development Bank–supported loan under the REFUEL Project, designed to combat undernutrition through electronic food vouchers. Initial national budget allocations covered only a fraction of the target, pushing the government to secure additional financing through ADB and its development partners. The broader REFUEL initiative intends to assist up to 750,000 households across 22 provinces, signaling a long-term, systems-level approach to food poverty rather than short-term relief.

Beneficiaries of the WGP receive ₱3,000 in monthly food credits, redeemable only for nutritious items from DSWD-accredited stores — a model meant to ensure families get meals that sustain health rather than just fill hunger. Early data shows promise: a Social Weather Stations survey revealed hunger incidence among WGP participants dropped from 48.7% in late 2024 to 41% by March 2025. Officials say this momentum strengthens the program’s case as a cornerstone of the country’s anti-poverty strategy — one built on consistent access to food, not one-off aid.