Ben Madilynn
MATI City in Davao Oriental and Asuncion, Davao del Norte were among the local government units (LGUs) in the Davao Region to be selected as one of 10 LGUs in the Philippines to win the first-ever Walang Gutom Awards from the national government.
Mati City Mayor Michelle Nakpil Rabat personally received the award at Malacañan Palace on the morning of June 26, 2024.
Rabat said in her speech that the city had been exerting efforts to reduce poverty and malnutrition in the city through the Maternal, Mental, Nutrition Recovery (MMNR) Family Careavan.
“Our Maternal, Mental, Nutrition Recovery (MMNR) Family Careavan initiative has been pivotal in reaching out to our most isolated and disadvantaged residents, providing them with essential services and support,” she said.
The MMNR Family Careavan, was launched in 2022 and is still being implemented in the 26 barangays of the city.
“This recognition is a testament to the hard work and dedication of our team in addressing poverty and malnutrition in our community,” Rabat added.
Meanwhile, Asuncion Mayor Atty. Eufracio “Yuri” Dayaday, Jr. personally received the award, for their “holistic and intersectoral policy approach” in addressing malnutrition
President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. also presented the award to other LGUs, including Barangay Commonwealth, Quezon City; Barangay Naggasican, Santiago City; Bago City; Cadiz City; Kidapawan City; Bacnotan, La Union; Palompon, Leyte; and Biliran Province.
Marcos, during the awarding, said he wants ending hunger to be his lasting legacy.
He thanked the LGUs for their efforts in addressing malnutrition.
“And it was a question I was not prepared for. It was a question that I actually had not thought about. But the answer came to me in an instant,” Marcos recalled.
“Wala nang gutom. Wala nang gutom na Pilipino (No more hunger. No more hungry Filipinos). That is my dream. No hungry Filipino,” he added.
Citing data from the Department of Social Welfare (DSWD), the President said around three million households still suffer from involuntary hunger.
To address this, Marcos issued Executive Order No. 44 in October last year, establishing the “Walang Gutom 2027: Food Stamp Program” as a flagship program of the national government to address hunger and stunting among children.
Under the program, the DSWD, as the primary government entity responsible for the implementation and management of social welfare development programs, will serve as the lead implementing agency.
The program provides monetary assistance for targeted beneficiaries to purchase food commodities from eligible partner merchant stores. RGL
