(Photo courtesy of DSWD-13)
BUTUAN CITY — The Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) has validated 4,223 potential beneficiaries of the Walang Gutom Program (WGP) in the Caraga Region during the first week of its expanded verification and registration activities.
In a statement Monday, November 9, DSWD-Caraga said the initial validation covered households across Agusan del Norte, Agusan del Sur, Surigao del Norte, Surigao del Sur and Dinagat Islands from November 3 to 7.
The figure represents nearly 47 percent of the agency’s target of 9,011 households in the region.
During the five-day activity, WGP validators conducted interviews and reviewed household information to determine whether applicants met the program’s eligibility requirements.
“The verification aims to ensure that assistance reaches households that meet the program’s qualifications,” DSWD-13 said.
The expanded registration forms part of the government’s efforts to reach more food-insecure families and strengthen support for vulnerable communities.
The Walang Gutom Program is a flagship government initiative designed to address involuntary hunger by providing food assistance to qualified low-income households.
Under the program, eligible families receive monthly food credits that can be used to obtain food products, alongside complementary interventions promoting proper nutrition, family welfare and long-term food security.
DSWD-Caraga emphasized that the validation process is necessary to ensure that government assistance is distributed to households that genuinely qualify for the program.
The agency said verification and registration activities would continue across the region until the target number of households is reached.
“The verification and registration activities will continue as the agency works toward reaching its target of 9,011 households in the region,” DSWD-13 said.
The department reiterated its commitment to expanding access to food assistance and addressing hunger among economically vulnerable families in Caraga.
