The Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) serves families in street situations and those experiencing involuntary hunger through its Walang Gutom Kitchen in this undated photo. DSWD Assistant Secretary Irene Dumlao on Thursday (Dec. 26, 2024) said over 4,000 individuals have been fed since the food bank was launched in Pasay City on Dec. 16. (DSWD photo)
Since its launch on Dec. 16, the Walang Gutom Kitchen of the Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) in Pasay City has fed more than 4,000 individuals experiencing involuntary hunger.
“We were able to feed a total of 4,452 individuals experiencing involuntary hunger from its launching date up to December 24,” DSWD spokesperson Assistant Secretary Irene Dumlao said as quoted in a news release on Thursday.
Dumlao said the agency was able to assist families in street situations (FISS) and those experiencing involuntary hunger through donations from hotels, restaurants, and other establishments.
“We are very grateful for the food donations from the different establishments. We want to reiterate that the food we offer is not discarded food or ‘pagan’ (leftover) as some people call it,” she said.
Dumlao asserted that the food served in the Walang Gutom Kitchen is always fresh, delicious, and healthy, as she thanked individuals who volunteered to serve in the Pasay City soup kitchen.
“We are equally thankful to the volunteers who, even on holidays, spent their time serving food to the beneficiaries of the kitchen,” Dumlao said.
The Walang Gutom Kitchen will be open from Dec. 26 to 31 and will be temporarily closed on New Year’s Day, Jan. 1, 2025.
The Walang Gutom Kitchen is DSWD Secretary Rex Gatchalian’s latest innovation. It aims to address involuntary hunger and reduce food wastage by turning donated surplus food from hotels, restaurants, and organizations into hot, nutritious meals for hungry individuals.