The government has opened the “Walang Gutom Kitchen,” the first food bank in the country.
Under a public-private initiative, restaurants, hotels, and fast-food chains can donate their surplus food to be fed to hungry families and individuals.
The Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) is spearheading the project.
DSWD Secretary Rex Gatchalian, quoted by ABS-CBN News, said: “Private and public sector will join forces to lessen food wastage in the country and at the same time, respond to the problem in hunger. Later on, well expand this nationwide.”
The first site of Walang Gutom Kitchen is located at the Nasdake Building in FB Harrison, in William Street, Barangay 13, Pasay City.
Gatchalian said all people experiencing hunger were welcome in the kitchen that opens at 6 a.m. and will continue serving until supplies last.
Filipino families who experienced “involuntary hunger” increased to 14.2 percent in the first quarter of 2024, up by 3.5 percent for the same period last year, according to the Social Weather Stations’ (SWS) in a survey released in May.
The polling firm defines “involuntary hunger” as experiencing hunger and not having access to food at least once in the past three months.
The results of the survey conducted from March 21 to 25 revealed a 1.6-point increase in hunger compared to the findings from December 2023.
The SWS said the March 2024 hunger figure was 3.5 points above the 10.7 percent annual hunger rate of 2023 and the highest since the 16.8 percent in May 2021.
SWS noted that involuntary hunger among Filipino families was highest in Metro Manila at 19 percent, followed by Balance Luzon at 15.3 percent, Visayas at 15 percent, and Mindanao at 8.7 percent.
“The 1.6-point rise in hunger between December 2023 and March 2024 was due to increases in Metro Manila, the Visayas, and Balance Luzon, combined with a decline in Mindanao,” SWS explained.
Meanwhile, severe hunger refers to those who experienced it “often” or “always” in the previous three months.
Compared with December 2023, moderate hunger slightly went up to 12.2 percent from 11.2 percent.
Severe hunger, on the other hand, increased to two percent from 1.4 percent in December 2023.
The hunger experience is the worst in Metro Manila at 19 percent of families, followed by Balance Luzon at 15.3 percent, Visayas at 15 percent, and Mindanao at 8.7 percent.
The 19 percent hunger incidence in Metro Manila in March is a huge increase from 12.7 percent in December 2023.
Visayas’ hunger incidence of 15 percent also increased by 5.7 points from 9.3 percent in December 2023. Hunger in Balance Luzon only slightly increased to 15.3 percent from 14.3 percent.
Mindanao was the lone gainer with its hunger incidence falling to 8.7 percent from 12 percent in December 2023.
The SWS poll was conducted using face-to-face interviews of 1,500 adults aged 18 years old and above nationwide. Of the 1,500 respondents, 600 are in Balance Luzon while 300 respondents were asked in each of Metro Manila, Visayas, and Mindanao.
