The Department of Social Welfare and Development’s Walang Gutom Kitchen serves needy Filipinos in an undated photo. The DSWD on Friday (April 10, 2026) said the WGK is offering meals to public utility vehicle drivers amid surging fuel prices. (PNA photo by Joan Bondoc)
The Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) is extending a helping hand to public utility vehicle (PUV) drivers struggling with the impact of rising fuel prices, offering them free daily meals through its Walang Gutom Kitchen (WGK) as tensions in the Middle East continue to push oil costs higher.
In a statement released Friday, DSWD spokesperson Assistant Secretary Irene Dumlao said the agency recognizes the growing burden on drivers whose livelihoods have been squeezed by the continued increase in petroleum prices.
“We know how heavily the continued rise in oil prices is affecting our PUV drivers. Through the Walang Gutom Kitchen, we want to make sure they have access to enough nutritious food every day,” Dumlao said.
Under the program, PUV drivers may avail themselves of free breakfast at 6 a.m. and lunch at 11 a.m., seven days a week.
Meals served at the kitchen are designed to be filling and nutritious. Breakfast offerings include fried rice, dried fish, and scrambled eggs with potatoes, while lunch may consist of rice, fried chicken, and vegetables.
Although the Walang Gutom Kitchen was primarily established to serve individuals experiencing hunger, particularly those in street situations, Dumlao said the facility is also opening its doors to PUV drivers as part of government efforts to cushion the effects of the oil price surge on vulnerable sectors.
She said the initiative reflects the government’s whole-of-government response in line with the directive of President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr. to provide immediate assistance to sectors hardest hit by current economic pressures.
Dumlao stressed that the Walang Gutom Kitchen remains open to anyone in urgent need of food support.
The WGK is among the flagship innovations introduced by DSWD Secretary Rex Gatchalian to address involuntary hunger while also helping reduce food waste. The program turns surplus food donations from hotels, restaurants, and other organizations into hot meals for people in need.
Located at the Nasdake Building in Pasay City, the Walang Gutom Kitchen continues to operate through donations from both public and private sector partners, along with the support of volunteers who help keep the facility running.
