Walang Gutom program sees hunger incidence decrease for second quarter

The hunger incidence among beneficiaries of the Department of Social Welfare and Development's (DSWD) Walang Gutom program has decreased for the second consecutive quarter, according to Secretary Rexlon T. Gatchalian.

Launched in 2023 under President Ferdinand R. Marcos, Jr.'s directive to eradicate hunger, the program has successfully reached 300,000 food-poor households nationwide.

Secretary Gatchalian announced plans to expand the program to 600,000 beneficiaries in the latter half of the year, citing early signs of success.

A tracking survey by Social Weather Stations (SWS) indicated a 7.2-percentage point decline in self-rated hunger among beneficiaries within six months, dropping from 48.7% in October 2024 to 41.5% in March 2025.

SWS fellow Roehlano M. Briones stated that the evidence consistently supports the positive impact of scaling up the Walang Gutom program on the country's food-poor population.

The rate of improvement among beneficiaries was significantly higher, six percentage points greater than that of non-beneficiaries, suggesting the changes can be directly attributed to the program's interventions.