FIRST Lady Liza Araneta-Marcos and Social Welfare Secretary Rex Gatchalian yesterday launched the newest initiative of the Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) aimed at helping minimize food wastage and involuntary hunger in the country.
The “Walang Gutom Kitchen,” which is located at a former Philippine Offshore Gaming Operators (POGO) hub in Pasay City that has been repurposed by the DSWD, features the convergence of three DSWD programs – the Pag-Abot Program, Walang Gutom Program, and the Tara Basa! Tutoring Program.
Araneta-Marcos and Gatchalian provided hot meals to the Kitchen’s beneficiaries, which included members of the poor, marginalized, and vulnerable population.
“This Walang Gutom Kitchen is a food bank kung saan ang private sector at ang public sector ay magsasanib pwersa para mabawasan ang wastage ng pagkain at matugunan ang problema ng kagutuman sa Metro Manila (This Walang Gutom Kitchen is a food bank where the private and public sector joined forces to reduce food wastage and address hunger in Metro Manila),” Gatchalian said in an interview after the launching.
He said the program would later be expanded on a nationwide scale so it could receive excess food from the private sectors throughout the country.
Gatchalian assured the public that the foodbank program would adhere to the provisions of Republic Act No. 9803, or the Food Donation Act of 2009, and create measures to encourage the donation of wholesome food for charitable purposes.
He said the Kitchen would also accept food and drinks donations, whether donated on a personal capacity or from businesses and groups.
Apart from providing food, the Walang Gutom Kitchen program would give food and other basic necessities to beneficiaries of the agency’s “Pag-Abot” Program; and facilitate individualized case management of clients of the Walang Gutom Kitchen program, including assessment, intervention, planning and progress tracking of homeless individuals for their development.
It will likewise reach out to participants of the “Tara Basa!” tutoring program, which provides beneficiaries access to learning and developmental interventions such as parenting education and character-building activities.
Gatchalian said during the opening of the Kitchen: “Sa lahat ng mga kababayan natin na gustong tumulong sa ating mga kababayan na nagugutom… we will take on any type of food donation and drinks donation, whether gusto mo na own personal capacity or nagkataon na may negosyo ka at may sumobrang pagkain, basta galing sa pribadong sektor, alinsunod na rin sa batas, tatanggapin namin iyan para ipakain at ipamahagi araw-araw sa mga nagugutom nating mga kababayan (To our countrymen who want to help the hungry, we will take on any type of food donation and drinks donation, whether you want to donate in a personal capacity or if you have businesses that have excess food. We will accept your donations and distribute these daily to the hungry).”
Araneta-Marcos and Gatchalian were accompanied by DSWD undersecretaries Pinky Romualdez and Eduardo Punay, assistant secretaries Baldr Bringas and Paul Ledesma, and Pasay City Mayor Emi Calixto-Rubiano.
The private partners of the Walang Gutom Kitchen who witnessed the event were representatives from Ronald McDonald’s House of Charities, Jollibee Food Corporation, Coca-Cola Beverages Philippines Inc., Nestle Philippines Inc., Century Pacific Food Inc., Monde Nissin Corporation, Philippine Business for Social Progress (PBSB), Unilever, Philippine Hotel Owners Association, among others.
