Social Welfare Secretary Rex Gatchalian underscored the Marcos administration’s continuing effort at investing in human capital development, including the Walang Gutom Program (WGP).
“This program is to invest or we invest in human capital. We invest in Filipinos, we invest in our residents because our people are important capital,” the DSWD chief said during the launch of the Walang Gutom Kusinero Cook-Off Challenge recently at the Dapa Gymnasium, in Dapa, Surigao Del Norte.
Gatchalian said the WGP initiated the culinary challenge to celebrate the lessons learned by beneficiaries from their nutrition education sessions.
Five teams, composed of two members each, competed in the culinary challenge to show off their skills in healthy meal preparation.
Each of the meals prepared by the participants was judged based on two criteria: innovation and creativity, and adherence to “masustansya, masarap, at murang pagkain” advocacy.
To evaluate the healthy cuisine made by the beneficiaries, the DSWD tapped culinary expert and social media influencer Chef Marky Bartolome as the official coach-kusinero of the competition.
The salad and bola-bolang puso made by WGP beneficiaries Daisy Lipio and Arnold Lipio garnered the highest score of 96 percent. They will represent their province in the Regional Cook-Off Challenge in the coming months.