REELECTED Leyte 1st District Rep. Ferdinand Martin G. Romualdez on Tuesday vowed that Congress will give its full support to President Ferdinand “Bongbong” R. Marcos Jr. and the Department of Social Welfare and Development’s (DSWD) Walang Gutom Program—including adequate funding under the proposed 2026 national budget.
Rep. Romualdez, the Speaker of the 19th Congress, emphasized that no Filipino should go hungry in a nation full of promise and potential.
“Hindi ito basta proyekto ng ating Pangulong Bongbong Marcos. His vision of a hunger-free Philippines under the Walang Gutom Program is a promise of dignity, a pledge of compassion, and a commitment to bring real change to every Filipino family struggling to put food on the table,” Rep. Romualdez said.
His statement comes after the DSWD announced plans to expand the Walang Gutom Program from its current reach of 300,000 households to 750,000 food-poor families by next year. The program provides ₱3,000 worth of monthly food credits through an electronic benefit transfer (EBT) card that can be used to purchase select food items from accredited merchants.
He praised President Marcos for making hunger eradication a pillar of the Bagong Pilipinas vision.
“Makikita mo ang puso ng ating Pangulo sa programang ito. Ang laban sa gutom ay hindi lamang polisiya kundi personal niyang misyon. Walang pamilyang Pilipino ang dapat maiwan sa laylayan ng lipunan,” the veteran House leader said.
Rep. Romualdez also cited the critical coordination between DSWD and the Department of Agriculture (DA) in implementing the complementary “Benteng Bigas, Meron Na!” program, which makes ₱20 per kilo rice available at selected Kadiwa stores and partner retailers—primarily to Walang Gutom beneficiaries.
“Bagama’t hindi pa ito ang presyo ng bigas sa lahat ng tindahan, ito ay malaking tulong sa mga pamilyang pinaka-nangangailangan,” Rep. Romualdez explained.
He stressed that expanding Walang Gutom means investing not only in subsidies but in the full value chain—from farmer support to nutrition education.
“Kung gusto nating wakasan ang gutom, kailangang suportado ang magsasaka sa produksyon, ang mamimili sa abot-kayang presyo, at ang bawat pamilya sa kaalaman at kabuhayan. Hindi sapat ang ayuda—kailangan ito’y tulay tungo sa kaunlaran,” Rep. Romualdez said.
Rep. Romualdez urged fellow lawmakers to rally behind the 2026 General Appropriations Bill (GAB) to provide both the DSWD and DA with the resources needed to meet the program’s growing goals.
“This is what makes Walang Gutom a game-changer. It merges compassion with innovation, urgency with sustainability, and short-term aid with long-term empowerment,” he said. “This is how we build a Bagong Pilipinas—by making sure that government reaches those who need it most, with real solutions that work.”
Rep. Romualdez said Congress is prepared to act decisively to ensure that hunger will no longer define the lives of millions of Filipinos.
“Kapag sabay-sabay tayong kikilos, kaya nating gawing totoo ang Walang Gutom. Para ito sa bayan. Para ito sa bawat Pilipino,” Rep. Romualdez said.
