About 50,000 families across the Negros Island Region (NIR) are benefiting from the government’s Walang Gutom Food Stamp Program, including about 20,000 from Negros Oriental, a Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) official said Thursday.

DSWD-NIR Director Arvin Razo said the program, now in its second year nationwide, is being implemented for the first time in the newly created region.

Under the program, qualified beneficiaries receive monthly food credits worth PHP3,000 that can be used to purchase nutritious food, including fruits, at accredited retailers.

“This program is one of the flagship initiatives of the President to ensure that no Filipino family goes hungry,” Razo said.

To promote the program, the DSWD-NIR held an Innovation Caravan and the Walang Gutom Cook-Off Challenge at the convention center in this city on Thursday as part of the Nutrition Month celebration.

Razo said that five teams from various local government units took part in the cook-off challenge, with the winning team set to represent the NIR in the national competition.

He said the participants, beneficiaries of the Walang Gutom program, showcased dishes prepared with locally available produce and raw ingredients.

Meanwhile, DSWD Assistant Secretary for Innovations Baldr Bringas said the administration of President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr. continues to prioritize programs addressing poverty, hunger, and illiteracy.

Despite billions of pesos invested in government interventions, Bringas said the country continues to face persistent social challenges.

Citing data from the Philippine Statistics Authority, he said that about 750,000 households nationwide remain food poor, or unable to afford three nutritious meals a day.

He also raised concerns about the country’s literacy situation, saying that many Filipinos continue to struggle with reading comprehension, while the number of families living on the streets continues to rise.

Bringas said DSWD Secretary Rex Gatchalian has emphasized the need to adopt innovative approaches, noting that repeating the same interventions would not yield different results.

He said the department created its innovations group to develop practical solutions, challenge conventional approaches, and improve the delivery of social services.

Undersecretary Ed Punay, meanwhile, underscored the importance of a whole-of-government approach in implementing anti-poverty programs.

He said the President has directed national government agencies to strengthen coordination with local government units to ensure the effective implementation of programs and services for poor and vulnerable sectors. (PNA)