The Department of Social Welfare and Development announced that its Walang Gutom Program has surpassed 600,000 beneficiaries nationwide as of Thursday.

Undersecretary Edu Punay of the department’s Innovations and Program Development Group shared the milestone during a WGP activity at Romblon State University.

During the event, the DSWD distributed Electronic Benefit Transfer cards to 10 families, bringing the total number of beneficiaries in the area to 94.

The department said the program focuses on expanding coverage in areas with a high concentration of food-poor families.

According to OCTA Research’s December 2025 Tugon ng Masa survey, 37 percent of Filipino families, or about 4.5 million households, consider themselves food-poor. The figure marked a 17-percentage-point drop from 54 percent in September, representing the largest quarterly decline recorded in the survey’s history.

Under the Walang Gutom Program, beneficiaries receive ₱3,000 in credits, which may be used to purchase goods from DSWD partner merchants.

Punay acknowledged that the assistance may not fully address food poverty but could help ease daily burdens.

“Alam namin hindi po yan sapat para sa lahat ng araw-araw na pangangailangan niyo. Pero sana po malaking tulong yan na mabigay sainyo,” he said.

He also urged beneficiaries to report any discrepancies in their credits to DSWD officers.

Participants in the program are required to attend Nutrition Education Sessions and Productivity Enhancement Sessions conducted through modules and training in coordination with other government agencies.

DSWD Secretary Rex Gatchalian earlier said in a September 2025 interview that data showed the program, launched in 2023, was yielding results and that the department would continue efforts to address hunger.

The agency also plans to open a second Walang Gutom Kitchen in Cebu this February, with a third facility slated for Mindanao later this year.