The Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) will open its third Walang Gutom Kitchen in July, this time in Zamboanga City, as part of its expanded effort to provide daily meals to families and individuals in street situations (FISS) in Mindanao.
Social Welfare Secretary Rex Gatchalian said the initiative supports President Ferdinand Marcos Jr.’s goal of ensuring that no Filipino goes hungry.
Gatchalian said the government is addressing hunger through two complementary programs: the Walang Gutom food voucher initiative, which provides eligible families with ₱3,000 monthly for nutritious food, and the Walang Gutom Kitchen, which serves free breakfast and lunch meals to FISS and, more recently, public utility vehicle drivers affected by rising fuel and commodity prices.
The latest expansion follows the inauguration of the Cebu branch on Monday, which builds on the first Walang Gutom Kitchen in Pasay City that serves Metro Manila.
Gatchalian said the President has directed that the program should not remain concentrated in the capital region.
“The President’s dream is really to end hunger… This is in line with his instruction to establish a Cebu-Visayas branch,” he said.
He added that the government plans to expand the kitchens to other key highly urbanized cities nationwide.
The Walang Gutom Kitchen operates as both a soup kitchen and food bank, working with private sector partners such as the Philippine Hotel Owners Association and fast-food chains to repurpose safe, unserved food. The meals are inspected by in-house nutritionists to ensure quality and safety while helping reduce food waste.