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MANILA, Philippines — The Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) on Saturday called for volunteer servers and food donations for its “Walang Gutom” kitchen in Pasay City.
“Gusto ko rin ipabatid sa inyo na humahanap kami ng food donations, pati na rin ang service donations. Hinihikayat namin ang mga organisasyon at indibidwal na gustong tumulong laban sa kagutuman na magtungo lang sa Nasdake Building sa Pasay para maging volunteer servers natin for a day,” DSWD Secretary Rex Gatchalian said in a video message.
(I want to inform you that we are looking for food donations and service donations. We encourage organizations and individuals that want to help in addressing hunger to go to Nasdake Building in Pasay to be our volunteer servers for a day.)
READ: Hunger among Filipinos remains at its highest since 2020 – SWS poll
The DSWD launched its first “Walaang Gutom” kitchen under its Pag-abot program on December 16. The kitchen serves as a food bank where hotels, restaurants, and fast food chains can donate food that is not consumed for the day but is still edible and safe for consumption.
“Kaysa itapon lang at masayang, ngayon, mayroon na silang pwedeng paglagyan at i-donate na lugar kung saan naman ang DSWD ay ipapamahagi at ise-serve ito sa ating mga kababayan na nakararanas ng kagutuman,” Gatchalian said.
(Instead of throwing the food away, now, they have a place where they can place or donate their food and then the DSWD will facilitate its distribution to people experiencing hunger.)
READ: ‘Walang Gutom 2027: Food Stamp Program’ declared major gov’t project
In its statement released on Dec. 16, the DSWD explained that the anti-hunger initiative is a public-private partnership.
Gatchalian in the same statement said that the kitchen’s location used to be a Philippine offshore gaming operator hub. He noted that the DSWD repurposed the place into its Pag-abot center.
The DSWD chief also said that they will open more branches of the food bank to help eliminate hunger among poor Filipinos nationwide.
The DSWD is responsible for the implementation and management of the “Walang Gutom 2027: Food Stamp Program,” which has been declared as a flagship program of President Ferdinand Marcos Jr.’s administration.