Twelve regional finalists will put their cooking skills to the test on Friday, July 17, as the Department of Social Welfare and Development stages the second national finals of the Walang Gutom Kusinero: Cook-Off Challenge at the Quezon City Meeting, Incentives, Conferences and Exhibitions Center.
The contestants will prepare dishes designed to be nutritious, affordable and appetizing—meals that Filipino families can easily recreate at home without stretching their budgets.
The competition forms part of the social and behavioral change component of the DSWD’s Walang Gutom Program, which promotes proper nutrition and healthier eating habits among beneficiaries.
“After maglaban sa provincial at regional level, dadako na tayo sa championship ng Walang Gutom Kusinero: Cook-Off Challenge. Labindalawang rehiyon po ang magpapagalingan sa pagluluto ng masarap, masustansya, at abot-kayang putahe. ’Yan po ang layunin ng adbokasiyang ito, turuan ang mga magulang o miyembro ng pamilya ng tamang nutrisyon,” DSWD spokesperson Assistant Secretary Irene Dumlao said Wednesday, July 15.
The finalists will be judged on taste and quality, convenience and replicability, nutritional balance and cost-efficiency.
Chef Marky Bartolome, the competition’s official “Coachsinero,” will join other guest judges in evaluating and scoring the dishes.
Beyond the competition, the cook-off is also intended to showcase what beneficiaries have learned through the DSWD’s monthly Kalusugan, Kakayahan, at Kabuhayan, or 3K Sessions.
Attendance at the sessions is one of the conditions beneficiaries must meet to regularly receive ₱3,000 in monthly food credits.
Previously known as the Nutrition Education Sessions and Productivity Enhancement Sessions, the 3K Sessions teach families how to prepare nutritious, flavorful and affordable meals.
“Makikita po namin ang creativity at husay ng ating mga benepisyaryo dito sa cook-off challenge. Mapapakita rin nila ang mga natutunan nila sa ginagawa nating monthly 3K sessions. Para sa kaalaman po ng marami, hindi lang tayo nagbibigay ng food credits sa ating mga benepisyaryo. Tinuturuan din natin sila ng tamang nutrisyon para maging malusog ang buong pamilya, binibigyan ng access sa mga libreng training, at maging sa mga job fairs para magkaroon sila ng trabaho o pagkakakitaan,” Dumlao said.
First Lady Louise Araneta-Marcos, along with heads and representatives of national government agencies and DSWD partner organizations, is expected to attend the event.
In 2025, Kusinera Elenita Montaño and Assistant Kusinera Jovelyn Montaño of Region 9, or the Zamboanga Peninsula, won the inaugural cook-off with Ginataang KangCorn PriBano.
Their dish earned a perfect score of 100 percent. The team received ₱50,000 from the DSWD and a food cart from Playtime Cares as livelihood assistance.
The Walang Gutom Program is the government’s flagship anti-hunger initiative and is aligned with President Ferdinand Marcos Jr.’s directive to address food insecurity and reduce involuntary hunger among Filipino families.