The Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) has signed a memorandum of agreement with the Galing Pook Foundation to establish the “Walang Gutom Awards.
The agency said the Walang Gutom Awards aims to recognize the most innovative and effective programs of local government units (LGUs) in addressing food insecurity and hunger around the country.
DSWD Assistant Secretary for Strategic Communications Romel Lopez, said the agency being on top of the Inter-Agency Task Force on Zero Hunger (IATF-ZH), is fortunate to have a partnership with Galing Pook.
“This will be an important step to recognize our LGU partners for their valuable contribution to the implementation of our initiatives to achieve a healthy and hunger-free Philippines,” Lopez, who is also DSWD spokesperson, said.
The MOA features the development of criteria, evaluation metrics, award process, and provision of financial incentives to the winning LGUs.
It also includes the obligations of the DSWD and Galing Pook in conducting the Walang Gutom Roadshow to LGUs, which is a capacity building initiative that will help them increase their knowledge, skills, and capabilities in developing sustainable and innovative solutions to address hunger and food insecurity.
The Galing Pook Foundation (GPF) is a non-government organization that promotes innovation, sustainability, citizen empowerment and excellence in local governance.
It is currently implementing the Strengthening Participation and Accountability Through Civil Society Organizations and Engagement with Subnational and National Government (SPACES) Project supported by the Australian Government together with Oxfam Pilipinas, AGREA, and Institute for Social Entrepreneurship in Asia, which aims to promote better food security and nutrition outcomes through stronger collaboration among LGUs and civil society organizations.
As part of its anti-hunger efforts, the DSWD is currently conducting the pilot implementation of the WALANG GUTOM 2027: Food Stamp Program (FSP) in selected areas around the country.
The FSP aims to fight involuntary hunger by providing food augmentation to the bottom 1 million households based on Listahanan 3, which belong to the food-poor criteria as defined by the Philippine Statistics Authority (PSA).
On July 18, the Department launched the FSP’s pilot implementation in Tondo, Manila with 50 beneficiaries receiving their Electronic Benefit Transfer Card (EBT) loaded with P3,000 worth of food credits that can be used to purchase a select list of nutritious food items from DSWD-registered local retailers.
This September, 50 pilot beneficiaries from Siargao Island, one of the identified pilot areas, will also receive their EBT cards.