Marcos Jr. orders nationwide expansion of food bank program, transfers NCSC to DSWD

President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. has directed the Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) to expand the "Walang Gutom" food bank-soup kitchen program nationwide to combat hunger.

He also ordered the transfer of the National Commission of Senior Citizens (NCSC) to the DSWD, citing the need to strengthen policies and programs for the elderly.

This move aims to improve bureaucratic efficiency and ensure better delivery of social services for senior citizens.

The DSWD now oversees the implementation, distribution, and management of the Social Pension for Indigent Senior Citizens (SPISC).

Marcos emphasized ending hunger as the DSWD's top mission, with a goal to establish more "Walang Gutom" kitchens across the country.

The DSWD aims to register 750,000 food-poor families in the Walang Gutom Program by next year.

Currently, the program is operational in Metro Manila, Cebu, and the CARAGA region, with poor families in BARMM to be prioritized.