'Walang Gutom Program' and the decline in hunger incidence

In recent months, the Philippines has seen a welcome and measurable decline in hunger incidence among the country's poorest families.

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The government has attributed this to the Department of Social Welfare and Development's (DSWD) "Walang Gutom Program" (WGP). As of March 2025, surveys show that hunger prevalence among WGP beneficiaries dropped by 7.2 percentage points-a significant and encouraging development for a country with the longtime problem of food insecurity.

The latest data from the Social Weather Stations (SWS) reveals that the most dramatic improvement occurred in the Bangsamoro Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (BARMM)-Plus cluster, which includes Basilan, Sulu, Tawi-Tawi, Maguindanao del Norte, Maguindanao del Sur, Lanao del Sur, and Zamboanga Sibugay. In these areas, hunger incidence among WGP beneficiaries dropped by 17.4 percentage points from 55.1 percent to 37.7 percent. These provinces historically report the highest rates of hunger in the nation, and this reduction signals that government intervention is finally making inroads where it matters most.