The Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) is set to launch the pilot of the Walang Gutom Kitchen by the end of 2024 with a massive collaboration with leading private corporations who were urged to donate goods to the kitchen’s food bank.
DSWD Secretary Rex Gatchalian explained the program details of the Walang Gutom Kitchen on Monday (October 7) during a meeting with key executives from Century Pacific Food Inc. (CPFI), Coca‑Cola Foundation Philippines (CCFP), Jollibee Group Foundation (JGF), Nestlé Philippines, Philippine Hotel Owners Association (PHOA), Restaurant Owners of the Philippines (RestoPH) Ronald Mcdonald’s House of Charities (RMHC) and Unilever Philippines.
The DSWD chief, who was joined by Social Technology Bureau (STB) Director and Team Leader of Pag-abot Program Marilyn Moral, gave a briefing on how private companies can contribute to the objectives of the Walang Gutom ‘soup kitchen’. The discussion revolved on the target beneficiaries, which is composed of families and individuals in street situations under Pag-abot Program and eligible beneficiaries of the Walang Gutom Program (WGP).
Scheduled for pilot-test in December, the kitchen will be rolled out in a former Philippine Offshore Gaming Operators (POGO) hub in Pasay which has been turned over to the DSWD. The kitchen aims to provide multifaceted biophysical services that addresses involuntary hunger and varied needs of homeless individuals and families.
At the end of the meeting, the Secretary Gatchalian, together with Undersecretary for Innovations Eduardo Punay and Asst. Secretary Baldr Bringas thanked the companies for their pledged supplies and on-going evaluation for various forms of support for the soup kitchen initiative.
Present in the meeting were Coca‑Cola Foundation Philippines, Inc. (CCFPI) President Cecile Alcantara; Century Pacific Food Inc. (CPFI) Director Kamille Corpuz and Sales Manager Gina Palad; Jollibee Group Foundation (JGF) President Gisela Tiongson and Director L.A. Cruzat, Ronald Mcdonald’s House of Charities (RMHC) Executive Director Marie Angeles and Managing Director Margot Torres; Nestlé Philippines Inc. Head of Corporate Affairs Jose Uy III; Philippine Hotel Owners Association (PHOA) Operations Manager Minoll Alano and Administrative Coordinator J Balinquit; Restaurant Owners of the Philippines (RestoPH) President Eric Teng and Officers Eduardo Firmalo and Oye Pores, and Unilever Philippines Lead for External Affairs Lavin Gonzaga, Business Unit reps. Anelle Villanueva and Hanna Laurel, and Lead for Corporate Affairs Joseph Fabul.
