The Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) said the Walang Gutom Program (WGP) ensured access to nutritious food for beneficiaries in the first week of the new year as it rolled out its first food redemption activities for 2026.

The simultaneous food redemption was conducted from 2 to 6 January in the municipalities of Talitay, Northern Kabuntalan, and Datu Blah Sinsuat in Maguindanao del Norte; Lemery, Carles, and Balasan in Iloilo; Albay, Sorsogon, and Camarines Sur in Bicol; and Cotabato City.

“Sinimulan natin ang food redemption ng ating WGP beneficiaries noong January 2. Gusto natin na mayroon masustansyang pagkain sa mesa ng bawat pamilya sa pagpasok ng 2026 kaya mayroon tayong simultaneous redemption day simula noong Biyernes,” said DSWD Assistant Secretary Irene Dumlao.

The DSWD said food redemption activities in other cities and municipalities are scheduled to continue until the last week of January.

WGP beneficiaries used their electronic benefit transfer (EBT) cards, which are loaded with P3,000 in monthly food credits, to purchase food items from accredited partner retailers. The food credits are divided into three categories to promote affordable and nutritious meals for Filipino households.

Of the total food credits, P1,500 is allocated for carbohydrate-rich items, P900 for protein-rich products, and P600 for vegetables, fruits, salt, and other condiments.

“Nakakatuwa na makitang nakangiti ang mga benepisyaryo pagkatapos nilang bumili ng bigas, prutas, gulay, at iba pang masustansyang pagkain para sa kanilang pamilya,” the DSWD spokesperson said.

In 2025, the WGP announced that beneficiaries may also purchase subsidized rice priced at P20 per kilogram from accredited retailers, providing families with a lower-cost rice option.

The WGP was launched in October 2023 under Executive Order No. 44 of the administration of President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. as the country’s version of a food stamp program.

More than a year after its rollout, a study conducted by Social Weather Stations from 24 to 30 September 2025 showed that involuntary hunger rose to 22 percent, up by 5.9 points from 16.1 percent in June.

The survey recorded the highest hunger incidence in Metro Manila at 25.7 percent, followed by Luzon outside Metro Manila at 23.8 percent, and Mindanao at 19.7 percent.

One beneficiary, Norhuda Zacaria from Maguindanao del Norte, thanked the DSWD on social media for the food redemption program aimed at helping vulnerable sectors.

“Alhamdulillah tapos na rin ang (food) redemption ng Walang Gutom Program dito sa Datu Blah Sinsuat. Thank you po sa DSWD na walang sawang nagbibigay ng ayuda sa mga mahihirap at sa ating President ng Pilipinas,” she wrote in a Facebook post.