PRESIDENT Ferdinand Marcos Jr. ordered the opening of more food banks nationwide as part of his administration’s push to end involuntary hunger in the country.
The President issued the directive after he joined volunteers in serving meals at the Walang Gutom (No Hunger) Kitchen, the country’s first public and private food bank collaboration or soup kitchen, in Pasay City on Thursday.
Marcos, joined by Social Welfare Secretary Rex Gatchalian, dined with some indigent families and street dwellers.
The President received a cake for his 68th birthday from the DSWD which he shared with the poor and volunteers.
Gatchalian said Marcos visited the Walang Gutom Kitchen to check the operations of the food bank.
“The President has made it mission number one of DSWD to end hunger, and this kitchen is part and parcel of achieving that goal,” Gatchalian said.
“The President wants us to open more food bank — soup kitchens nationwide to combat hunger,” he added.
The Walang Gutom Kitchen operates as a community food bank and soup kitchen, serving around 600 walk-in clients daily.
It also extends assistance through the DSWD’s Pag-abot program learning activities under “Tara, Basa!,” and case management services that include assessment, intervention planning, and progress tracking for homeless families.
The Pasay kitchen is the first of its kind, with first lady Liza Araneta-Marcos as its first volunteer.
Since its launch, the program has served 108,552 individuals and provided 152,959 meals as of Sept. 17.
The Walang Gutom Kitchen is located at the Nasdake Building in Pasay City, a former Philippine offshore gaming operators hub later repurposed as a DSWD Pag-Abot Center.
The program also aims to address food wastage as the food bank receives donations from private partners in the food industry and private citizens.
