The Department of Social Welfare and Development is planning to establish at least one Walang Gutom Kitchen (WGK) food bank in each of the country’s three major island groups as part of efforts to combat involuntary hunger.

Innovations and Program Development Group Undersecretary Eduardo Punay said the expansion is already underway, with preparations ongoing since last month.

“Right now we only have one in Pasay City which serves NCR, but starting last month up to this month, we are preparing to expand the program to different areas,” Punay said during an interview aired on PTV’s On Assignment.

Punay, who was reappointed officer in charge of the DSWD by President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. on Dec. 23, said a second Walang Gutom Kitchen is set to open in Mandaue City, Cebu, within February. The agency is also looking to establish a soup kitchen in Mindanao later this year.

“For now, we will have one in Luzon, Visayas, and Mindanao before we slowly scale up to places where there is a high incidence of involuntary hunger,” he said.

The first WGK was launched on Dec. 16, 2024, at the Nasdake Building in Pasay City, a former Philippine Offshore Gaming Operations hub. According to DSWD spokesperson and assistant secretary Irene Dumlao, the Pasay kitchen served more than 200,000 meals to 142,000 individuals in 2025.

“The goal of Walang Gutom Kitchen is not only to provide food. All the meals that we serve to our beneficiaries on a daily basis are prepared well and ensured to be nutritious,” Dumlao said.

The program sources food donations from hotels, restaurants, and partner organizations, which are then converted into hot meals for individuals and families experiencing hunger.