Manila: President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr. announced plans to enhance anti-hunger initiatives during his fourth State of the Nation Address (SONA) at the House of Representatives. He emphasized the expansion of the Walang Gutom Program (WGP), aiming to provide nutritional assistance to 600,000 food-insecure households by next year, with a target to reach 750,000 households by 2027.
According to Philippines News Agency, the Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) and the Department of Education (DepEd) will maintain their supplementary feeding programs in day-care centers and public schools. These programs are set to deliver nutritious food and milk to approximately 3.5 million learners nationwide. President Marcos highlighted the importance of these initiatives by stating, "As long as the stomach is full, the mind is also full."
The President also revealed plans to increase the number of beneficiaries of nutritious food through an additional PHP1-billion fund allocated to the DSWD for the upcoming year. Furthermore, he urged the DSWD and DepEd to persist with their internship and pre-employment programs designed for college students. Currently, the DSWD's Tara Basa! tutoring program offers cash-for-work opportunities, providing PHP468 daily to college students engaged as tutors and youth development workers.
President Marcos stated that they will focus on aiding children from families listed in the "Listahanan" and the Pantawid Pamilyang Pilipino Program (4Ps) over the next three years to facilitate their access to college education. He expressed the desire to amend the 4Ps law to ensure adequate support for impoverished families.
Since the onset of the administration, over 5 million households have benefitted from the conditional cash grants of the 4Ps, with around 1.5 million families experiencing improved livelihoods and graduating from the program. President Marcos called on local government units to assist those living on the streets by enrolling them in the 4Ps and other DSWD programs, to help them embark on a journey towards a better life.
