“Walang Gutom” program lists 32,445 beneficiaries in CV as NNC-7 calls for nutrition security

CEBU CITY – The "Walang Gutom 2027: Food Stamp Program" of the Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD)-Region VII has listed and verified some 32,445 beneficiaries from Cebu and Negros Oriental, as of May 2025, with Cebu having 13,619 and 18,826 for Negros Oriental. 

According to Leah Quintana, DSWD-7 regional information Officer, the DSWD continues to strengthen and enhance the fight against hunger through the “Walang Gutom 2027: Food Stamp” under the Enhanced Partnership Against Hunger and Poverty (EPAHP) Program that aims to link community-based organizations (CBOs) to institutional markets.

“The program beneficiaries were identified through the Listahanan 3 Database of the National Household Targeting System for Poverty Reduction, focusing on Filipino families earning 8,739 or less per month who are not part of the Pantawid Pamilyang Pilipino Program (4Ps),” Quintana bared.

Through the strong collaboration between EPAHP and the Walang Gutom Program, 20 CBOs are now actively participating in the program that include local farmers and producers that directly supply food items to the beneficiaries, Quintana said.

The number of beneficiaries that the retailers can cater to depends on their capacity to supply, she added and currently, there are 73 local government units (LGUs) implementing the “Walang Gutom” program, comprising 48 in Cebu and 25 in Negros Oriental.

 

DSWD-7 has already engaged with 102 accredited partner retailers across Cebu and Negros Oriental with 40 of them located in Cebu and 62 are in Negros Oriental.  These retailers serve Walang Gutom Program beneficiaries in the two provinces to ensure consistent access to nutritious food for food-poor or economically disadvantaged families; and reinforcing the government’s commitment to food security and inclusive development across the country, Quintana added.

NNC’s 51^st Nutrition Month calls for nutrition security

Meanwhile, the National Nutrition Council (NNC)-Region VII launched the observance of the 51st Nutrition Month to kick off on July 1 with the theme, "Food at Nutrition Security, Maging Priority! Sapat na Pagkain, Karapatan Natin!" during the NNC7- Media in Nutrition Development (MIND7) meeting on June 20.

"We want to empower communities, LGUs, and stakeholders across Central Visayas to treat food and nutrition security as a shared priority and responsibility. This campaign is a call to action for policy reform, stronger multi-sectoral programs, and inclusive solutions that ensure no one is left behind,” NNC VII Regional Nutrition Program Coordinator, Dr. Parolita Mission said.

Throughout July, various activities will be conducted across the region such as Nutrition caravans and health forums; various theme-based contests; quad media campaigns for key messages and recognition of local government units implementing outstanding nutrition programs, Mission bared.

"Let's make nutrition a priority, not only this month but every day of the year," Dr. Mission said. (Photos: NNC7)

 

NNC7 shepherds LGUs in CV to integrate nutrition in local investment, devt plan

BORBON, Cebu--The National Nutrition Council (NNC)-Region-7 continues to shepherd various local government units (LGUs) in Central Visayas to strengthen the nutrition program management and improve local nutrition governance in line with the Philippine Plan Action for Nutrition (PPAN), a six-year plan to improve nutrition in the country through 2028.

“The 2024 Nutrition Shepherding Project aims aid LGUs to help strengthen their nutrition program management and improve their local nutrition governance.  The Team is expected to review the recent nutrition situation of priority LGUs and help identify gaps in their management of the nutrition program,” NNC7 regional nutrition coordinator Dr. Parolita Mission shared in an interview with the Cebu Online News Press Corps (CONPC).

Mission said that the regional monitoring team assists local nutrition workers in integrating nutrition in local policies, local development and investment plans and budgeting, which was done in Borbon town, Cebu on December 3.

Target LGUs for shepherding and monitoring activities are those with potential to be nutrition champions and low functional LGUs according to the LNC functionality score cards and based on criteria agreed by the LGU shepherding team and the Regional Nutrition Council (RNC) full committee, Mission explained.

In 2024, the Central Visayas RNST targets the following LGUs in Cebu that include Bogo City, Borbon, Danao, Tabuelan, Balamban, Compostela, Carcar City, Talisay City and Boljoon. The Team schedules visits and other follow-up activities as the RNST finds necessary to ensure that LGUs are guided to include nutrition programs in the local budgets.

The shepherding teams to be deployed are based on the target LGU needs with a database to be prepared by the NNC7 secretariat based on the LGU's MELLPI Pro scores, LNC functionality monitoring report, OPT Plus report and other relevant reports, Mission said.

On December 3, members of the Regional Nutrition Committee-Technical Working Group, renamed as Regional Nutrition Shepherding Team (RNST) conducted a one-day shepherding activities in Borbon town in Cebu.

“With regards to the nutrition program here in Borbon, 100% in place jud ang implementation because I started this when I was still a member of the council being the chair of the committee on health and we sustain these nutrition programs here where we garnered six awards as nutrition champions given by the NNC7, DOH and the Province,” Borbon Mayor Noel Dotillos told the CONPC coverage team.

Mayor Dotilos said that Borbon has limited fund for local programs but he always prioritizes health and nutrition activities noting that an early intervention especially on health and nutrition programs intended for children, pregnant women and the first 1000 days bring out the best health care from the government, he said.

The local health unit in Borbon proudly shared that the town has a health laboratory where townsfolks can come and avail of all lab tests and screening that proved to be the best investment of the town.

What is Nutrition Shepherding?

Nutrition Shepherding is a concept that started in 2016 in Central Visayas and was previously referred to as "LGU Nurturing", where members of the Regional Nutrition Committee-Technical Working Group and the Human Resource for Nutrition (HRH-NS) visit select municipalities to assist, engage low performing LGUs to mentor and provide technical assistance to local nutrition workers and members of the local nutrition committees to improve the efficiency of nutrition program management.

Members of the RNST advises priority LGUs on how to effectively administer their nutrition programs, focusing on three major areas-- nutrition policies; nutrition planning and budgeting; and local nutrition structures and human resources.

The mentoring would entail the transfer of technical knowledge, skills, and attitudes required for effective local nutrition program management. Expected output of the LGU Shepherding include the Local Nutrition Action Plan; Local Nutrition Committee Functionality; PPAN Accomplishment Report; List of gaps and/or areas of improvements and recommendations; Written feedbacks to LGUs and a documentation report of the entire program.

According to the Borbon local health team that the shepherding project has helped the municipal and barangay health workers in enhancing their knowledge, skills and attitudes on how to manage nutrition programs in the communities. (Photos: CONPC Coverage Team)