President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. conferred “Walang Gutom Awards” on the cities of Cadiz and Bago in Negros Occidental for their outstanding anti-hunger initiatives at rites held at Malacañan Palace on Wednesday, June 26.
They were among 10 LGUs nationwide who were honored with “Walang Gutom Awards”, and at least P2 million worth of Sustainable Livelihood Program Funds were given to each winner.
The Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD), in collaboration with the Galing Pook Foundation (GPF), launched the WGA, an initiative to recognize and promote LGUs with successful programs to combat hunger.
The president, in his speech, said the finalists were evaluated on the criteria of impact, inclusivity, innovation, resilience, sustainability, and efficiency.
Marcos lauded the LGUs’ proactive involvement in the program, especially in the national government’s initiative to end hunger.
“Indeed, we need more LGUs like you to achieve our mission of “Walang Gutom” by 2027 and I pray that this year’s awards will also spur and inspire other LGUs to replicate your successes across the country,” he said.
CADIZ CITY
Cadiz was chosen among the top four local governments in the component city category for its Project PAT-BAGSIK (Pagkaon Aton Tatapon-Bata Aton Giyahan sa Iya Kaalam) – a holistic approach to sustainable food security, Mayor Salvador Escalante Jr. said.
Escalante said Project PAT-BAGSIK is a “twin-track” approach to solving both hunger and poverty in Cadiz City.
“It’s also a whole-of-the-government approach that enhances integration, coordination, collaboration and the over-all capacity to address interconnected issues in food security, poverty, hunger and malnutrition,” he added.
It’s a “womb-to-tomb” initiative to take care not just of health, but almost the total well-being of Cadiznons from all walks of life, Escalante said.
Conceived in 2010, Project PAT was conceptualized by then-mayor Patrick Escalante, which coincided with his nickname Pat, just as a feeding program in all public elementary schools in Cadiz with 25,000 beneficiaries.
The main purpose at that time was to address the 4.11 percent school drop-out rate in the city.
After a year, the result was commendable as the school dropout rate was reduced to 0.90 percent, Escalante said.
Escalante said he expanded Project PAT to Project PAT-BAGSIK and launched the Project BADING (Busong Aton Depensahan, Ika-ayong lawas sang Nanay Aton Gina-tipigan), another initiative that takes care the pregnant women in Cadiz.
Escalante said the concreting of all farm-to-market roads, farm mechanization, and sustainable aids to farmers and fisherfolk also contributed to the “zero hunger” goal of Cadiz.
BAGO CITY
Mayor Nicholas Yulo, who received the award of Bago City, said it ”is a validation of the sustained efforts of the city government in implementing programs and projects bannering the welfare and well-being of every Bagonhon”.
“We thank the people behind the awards for considering the programs of our city worthy of emulation,” he said.
The award is a challenge for us to sustain and improve further on our programs, Yulo said.
He emphasized that more than the recognition, the award will further motivate the city government to continue pushing forth food sufficiency initiatives “as we aim to alleviate the lives of our people and as we look forward to achieving a food-secure and hunger-free Bago City.” *