The Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) has proudly announced the Top 17 National Finalists for the prestigious Walang Gutom Awards. This award is a joint initiative by the DSWD and the Galing Pook Foundation.
The Walang Gutom Awards is a national recognition program that aims to highlight the most innovative and effective programs implemented by local government units (LGUs) across the country to combat food insecurity and hunger.
Addressing Food Insecurity in the Philippines
Food insecurity is a pressing issue in the Philippines. According to a World Food Programme survey in October 2022, one in 10 Philippine households experiences food insecurity. The country’s volatile climate, social inequality, and uneven wealth distribution have contributed to the ongoing hunger crises.
In response to this, the DSWD and the Galing Pook Foundation launched the Walang Gutom Awards. The awards aim to recognize and amplify the success stories of LGUs in ending involuntary hunger and malnutrition among Filipinos, especially children.
The Role of LGUs in Combating Hunger
To qualify for the awards, the program must be implemented in the LGU, either in the barangay, municipality, city, or province. It must have been operational for at least one year and must demonstrate verifiable and significant results in addressing food security and nutrition.
The DSWD and Galing Pook Foundation will award 10 LGUs nationwide. Each winning LGU will receive Php 2 million that they can use to extend the program and their beneficiaries.
The Top 17 National Finalists
The DSWD has now announced the Top 17 National Finalists for the Walang Gutom Awards. These LGUs have submitted their entries and have been recognized for their outstanding efforts in addressing food insecurity and hunger in their respective communities.
Provinces
- Isabela Province with their program, The Isabela Rice Assistance Program (I-RICE AP).
- Biliran Province and their From Garden to Table Program.
- Quirino Province for their I Love Quirino Caravan: Foods and Nutrition Security.
Barangays
- Barangay Commonwealth, Quezon City for their Reskyusi Food Basket Program[NCR].
- Barangay Naggasican, Santiago City with their Gulayan sa Bawat Bakuran.
Cities
- Iloilo City for their Resilient, Integrated, Sustainable Environment for Agriculture Farming (RISE-A-FARM).
- Angeles City and their Walang Plastikan: Plastic Palit Bigas Project.
- Kidapawan City for their Kidapawan City Agricultural Market and Trading Center (KCAMTC) “A community engagement for food production and nutrition”.
- Mati City and their Maternal, Mental, Nutrition Recovery Family Care-avan.
- Cadiz City for their Pagka-on Aton Tatapon “A Holistic Approach to Sustainable Food Security”.
- Bago City and their Food Staples Sufficiency Program.
Municipalities
- Tipo-Tipo, Basilan for their Adopt-A-SAM/ Sanyang-CAM.
- Bacnotan, La Union and their SIBOL: Sustainable Interventions to Break Hunger and Zero (0) Malnutrition in the Municipality of Bacnotan.
- Palompon, Leyte for their Adlaw sa Danggit.
- Irosin, Sorsogon and their Luntian at Masaganang Irosin (LuMI).
- Magallanes, Cavite for their Farmers Empowerment Program Towards Food Security[4A].
- Asuncion, Davao del Norte and their Intersectoral Participation, Our Way To Combat Malnutrition.
A Collaborative Effort
DSWD Secretary Rex Gatchalian emphasized that ending hunger and malnutrition in the country requires collaboration between different organizations1. "Today is a very significant day because it is an acknowledgment that the department cannot do it on its own. We need to create a movement among every single Filipino to once and for all say we are ending hunger right here, right now,” Secretary Gatchalian pointed out1.
The Walang Gutom Awards is a testament to this collaborative effort. It is a movement that aims to end hunger and ensure that no child goes to school hungry1.
Stay tuned for more updates on the Walang Gutom Awards and the inspiring work of the Top 17 National Finalists in their fight against hunger.