SONA 2026: Did Marcos’ ‘Walang Gutom’ curb rising hunger?

Composite image from INQUIRER files MANILA, Philippines — During his fourth State of the Nation Address (Sona) in 2025, President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. vowed to expand the government’s “Walang Gutom Program” as part of efforts to reduce poverty in the country. Twelve months later, how much progress has the country made in reducing hunger among Filipinos? The government has met its short-term target for expanding the program’s coverage. But the latest survey indicates that the increase in beneficiaries has yet to translate into lower food insecurity nationwide. Article continues after this advertisement READ: Filipinos’ top, urgent concerns: What Marcos hit, missed in Sona 2025 The Walang Gutom Program, or No Hunger Program, was officially launched in 2023 as the Walang Gutom 2027: Food Stamp Program. It is the government’s flagship anti-hunger and social welfare initiative. Led by the Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD), the program primarily targets the poorest households experiencing involuntary hunger and severe malnutrition. Beneficiaries receive an electronic benefit transfer card loaded with P3,000 in monthly food credits. The program also operates Walang Gutom Kitchens, which provide free, nutritious meals to homeless people and vulnerable walk-in clients, and offers livelihood and capacity-building programs. Target beneficiaries Article continues after this advertisement During his 2025 Sona, Marcos said he wanted the program to reach 600,000 households. The government achieved that target in May 2026. The administration aims to cover 750,000 households by 2027 and eventually expand the program to 1 million households. Article continues after this advertisement READ: DSWD enrolls additional 300,000 beneficiaries for Walang Gutom program “Sa ikalawang taon ng ating Walang Gutom Program, mabibigyan ng tulong ang anim na raang libong pinaka-nangangailangang kabahayan sa kanilang nutrisyon,” Marcos said in his speech. (In the second year of our Walang Gutom Program, 600,000 of the neediest households will receive nutritional assistance.) “At sa 2027, dadamihan pa natin sa pitong daan at limampung libong kabahayan ang maaabot ng feeding program natin,” Marcos added. (And by 2027, we will expand the feeding program to reach 750,000 households.) Marcos has repeatedly said that one of his administration’s main goals before the end of his term is to ensure that no Filipino goes to bed hungry. What the survey says According to the latest Social Weather Stations (SWS) survey, more Filipino families experienced involuntary hunger in the first quarter of 2026, with the national rate rising to 23.2 percent. READ: SWS: Hunger among Filipino families rises to 23.2% in March 2026 The noncommissioned survey, conducted from March 24 to 31 through face-to-face interviews with 1,500 adults nationwide, showed a 3.1-percentage-point increase from the 20.1 percent recorded in November 2025. It was the highest hunger rate since March 2025, when the figure reached 27.2 percent. Involuntary hunger is defined as “being hungry and having nothing to eat at least once during the past three months.” The Visayas recorded the highest hunger incidence at 28 percent, followed by Luzon outside Metro Manila at 22.4 percent, Metro Manila at 22 percent and Mindanao at 21.7 percent. DSWD cites Middle East tensions The DSWD attributed the increase in hunger to escalating tensions in the Middle East, saying higher global oil prices contributed to rising food costs. “We acknowledge the result of the SWS survey. Isa po ito sa mga tinitignan natin para mas mapaigting natin ang mga programa at malaman ano ang mga dapat baguhin,” DSWD Assistant Secretary Irene Dumlao said in a statement. “Sa nangyayaring tensyon sa Middle East, marami talaga sa ating mga kababayan ang naapektuhan, kaakibat ng pagtaas ng presyo ng langis ay ang pagtaas din ng presyo ng bilihin,” she said. READ: UN-backed report: Hunger crisis concentrated in 10 countries The Second Congressional Commission on Education noted in June that stunting among Filipino children younger than 5 rose to 25.3 percent last year, affecting one in four children. Stunting is the failure to grow and develop properly because of insufficient nutrition. The commission also said the country’s deteriorating nutritional condition is now formally considered a high public health concern. Multiple threats to food security The Philippines, one of the countries most vulnerable to global oil supply disruptions, faces a greater risk of hunger if the effects of the conflict persist. “The consequences are not confined to areas directly affected by violence. The Middle East plays a critical role in global energy, transport and trade systems. As fuel supplies, shipping routes and markets are disrupted, the effects ripple outwards, increasing hunger risks well beyond the region,” the United Nations World Food Programme said in a report. READ: PH braces for severe El Niño seen to last until 2027 Another threat could further worsen food insecurity: a potential super El Niño. At an event on June 23, Marcos said the government was intensifying measures to protect the country’s food, water and energy supplies amid warnings that a potentially severe El Niño could persist until 2027. Such conditions could threaten agricultural production and economic activity nationwide. “According to our data, there is a high possibility that the country will experience a severe El Niño that may last until next year, 2027,” the president said during the inauguration of the Mabini-Cayacay Small Reservoir Irrigation Project in Bohol province. Measures being implemented include promoting drought-resistant and less water-intensive crops such as watermelon, ginger, purple yam, peanuts and eggplant in vulnerable farming communities. The government is also encouraging the use of climate-adaptive technologies, including solar-powered irrigation pumps and water recycling systems in drought-prone areas. Economists and think tanks such as IBON Foundation also frequently cite joblessness and inadequate wages as primary drivers of the hunger crisis. One year after Marcos pledged to expand the Walang Gutom Program, the government has succeeded in extending its reach. Your subscription could not be saved. Please try again. Your subscription has been successful. Whether that expansion will ultimately result in fewer hungry Filipinos remains uncertain. Inflation, global conflicts, climate-related threats and persistent structural challenges continue to pose significant obstacles to the country’s food security. /dm Visit our Sona 2026 live coverage to stay updated with the latest #SONA2026 news and stories.