The Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) is ramping up its efforts to curb hunger among Filipinos, aiming to include 750,000 food-poor families in its Walang Gutom Program (WGP) by 2025.
In a televised interview, DSWD spokesperson Assistant Secretary Irene Dumlao shared that the government is currently supporting around 300,000 households under the program. An additional 300,000 are expected to be enrolled before the year ends, followed by another 150,000 next year.
“Kinakailangan po natin mag-register ng karagdagan sa taon po na ito,” Dumlao emphasized, noting the urgency of expanding the initiative. The data for targeting families is drawn from lists provided by the DSWD and the Philippine Statistics Authority (PSA).
The WGP, which enables beneficiaries to buy rice at a subsidized price of P20 per kilo, is currently being implemented in Metro Manila, Cebu, and the CARAGA region. However, Dumlao said that expansion plans are underway to include areas in the Bangsamoro Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (BARMM), giving priority to vulnerable communities there.
“Actually, bibigyan din sila ng prayoridad,” Dumlao explained. She said the rollout depends on finalizing area-specific details, identifying accredited merchants, and ensuring rice supply in coordination with the Department of Agriculture.
Eligible households will use an electronic benefit transfer (EBT) card—similar to a debit card—loaded with P3,000 monthly to purchase essential food items, including the P20-per-kilo rice.
