Leyte 1st District Rep. Ferdinand Martin G. Romualdez said Congress is fully committed to supporting President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. and the Department of Social Welfare and Development’s (DSWD) “Walang Gutom” program, including its proposed funding under the 2026 national budget.
Romualdez, Speaker of the 19th Congress, emphasized that no Filipino should go hungry in a country rich with promise. “His vision of a hunger-free Philippines under the Walang Gutom program is a promise of dignity, a pledge of compassion, and a commitment to bring real change to every Filipino family struggling to put food on the table,” he said.
The DSWD plans to expand the program from 300,000 to 750,000 food-poor households by next year. Under the initiative, beneficiaries receive ₱3,000 in monthly food credits through an electronic benefit transfer (EBT) card for use at accredited merchants.
Romualdez praised President Marcos for prioritizing hunger eradication and cited the partnership between DSWD and the Department of Agriculture (DA) in implementing the complementary “Benteng Bigas, Meron Na!” program, which provides ₱20 per kilo rice to beneficiaries through selected Kadiwa stores and partner retailers.
He urged lawmakers to support the 2026 General Appropriations Bill to ensure both agencies have the necessary funding. “This is what makes Walang Gutom a game-changer. It merges compassion with innovation, urgency with sustainability, and short-term aid with long-term empowerment,” he said.
