BY EDISON JOSEPH GONZALES

IT is a day filled with promise and opportunity as President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr. addressed a matter of utmost significance that affects millions of fellow Filipinos — and that is the problem of hunger.

According to data from the Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD), Marcos cited that nearly 12 percent of Filipino families, or around three million households, experienced hunger at least once over the last three months of 2022. “One in three Filipino children under five years old still suffers from stunted growth due to malnutrition,” he said.

The Philippines’ ranking in the Global Hunger Index (GHI) is also far from ideal, with the country scoring 14.8, indicating moderate hunger, which fares below the regional score of East and Southeast Asia of 8.2.

Marcos is aware of the challenges Filipinos face, but he sees the potential to change this situation.

“We this in the non-governmental organizations and social workers, the partners from the diplomatic corps, and the different international agencies; in the social workers who are reaching out to help as much as they can; in the many communities coming together to feed the hungry and the less fortunate; and in every Filipino working hard to provide food for themselves and their families’” Marcos also said.

To add to these efforts, last October, Marcos signed Executive Order No. 44, Walang Gutom 2027: the Food Stamp Program.

“Implemented through the DSWD, it provides monetary assistance for targeted beneficiaries to purchase food commodities from eligible partner merchant stores,” he noted.

More than that, it provides the government with valuable data to monitor the progress of the beneficiaries in addressing their food problems, ensuring that their families are getting the food and nutrition they require.

However, even as the national government is more than willing to take the lead in helping address this problem of hunger through these programs, Marcos acknowledged that they also need to tap and partner with the local governments, as they always do when making a program reach the grassroots level.

As agents of the government on the ground, the local government units (LGUs) not only have better knowledge and insights on the incidence of hunger in their localities but also provide — perhaps better programs, strategies, or approaches to address hunger specific to the areas where their constituents live.

And that is why, Marcos conferred the Walang Gutom Awards (WGA) to recognize the local governments that have been exceptional in addressing hunger in their communities.

Evaluated on the criteria of impact, inclusivity, innovation, resilience, sustainability, and efficiency, “these local government units have implemented fresh, new, and exciting ideas in their respective food programs and have brought renewed impetus to our collective drive against hunger in the country,” he mentioned.

Marcos thanked the Galing Pook Foundation and the DSWD, led by Sec. Rex Gatchalian, for coming up with this initiative.

To all the 17 finalists of this year’s Walang Gutom Awards, Marcos saluted them. Each of them has already won and has been included in the prestigious list of nominees.

Marcos likewise acknowledged the 101 LGUs — from barangays to municipalities and cities, to provinces — that filed their applications and participated in this year’s pilot program implementation.

Their involvement in the process means a lot to the national government, especially as Marcos aims to put an end to hunger that has been causing suffering to the vulnerable and marginalized in the Philippines for many decades.

They are already Walang Gutom champions in the hearts and minds of the people. Marcos hopes that they will continue to sustain or even improve upon your noteworthy programs.

Marcos invited all LGUs to look at these outstanding programs of the nominees. See how and why their programs worked, and examine whether they can adopt or improve these further to apply them in your communities.

The national government will also be taking notes to see what more can be done at the national level.

The takeaway from the event should be that, “each and every one of us can contribute to the success of the campaign against hunger,” Marcos underscored.

“If they are truly to succeed in this endeavor, we must take a whole-of-nation approach to create a lasting solution to this great challenge,” he said.

Marcos calls upon the government, partners from the private sector, non-profit organizations, citizens, friends from the international community, and all citizens to work together as a united front and Walang Gutom advocates.

It is topical that they speak of this now. Marcos remembers sitting in that spot and being interviewed very early on — he thinks it was his third day in office — and he was asked: “What would you like to be your legacy for your presidency, for your administration?” It was a question that Marcos was not prepared for, and one he had not actually thought about. But the answer came to him in an instant: There will be no hunger. There are no hungry Filipinos. That is Marcos’ dream — no hungry Filipino.

It is as noble a cause one can possibly have — to make sure that every single Filipino, each and every one of whom we love like a family member, never again feels the pangs of hunger. “If we can achieve that, then we can claim to have led a good life,” he said.

Marcos concluded: “Let us move forward with determination, compassion, and purpose to build a Bagong Pilipinas where food is not only affordable but plentiful; where every Bagong Pilipino leads a good, healthy, and productive life.”