Recalling his ideal legacy, Marcos says, "No more hungry Filipinos."

On Wednesday, President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr. declared his desire for eradicating hunger to be his legacy.

Speaking during the Walang Gutom Awards in Malacañang, Marcos recalled being asked what he wanted his administration's legacy to be during a media interview.

“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.

The "Walang Gutom 2027: Food Stamp Program" was introduced by Marcos to alleviate three million households' involuntary hunger. The initiative tracks participants' progress and gives them financial support to buy meals from participating merchant establishments. The implementation will be spearheaded by the DSWD, with local government entities playing a pivotal role in reaching the grassroots levels.

“As agents of the government on the ground, our LGUs not only have a better knowledge and have good insights on the incidence of hunger in their localities, but also provide, maybe, perhaps better programs, better strategies, or approaches to address hunger specific to the areas that their constituents lie,” he said.

At the Walang Gutom Awards 2024 ceremony, which Marcos presided over, local government units (LGUs) were honored for their exceptional efforts to combat hunger and provide food security. Ten winners were chosen from a pool of more than 100 LGUs, making 17 finalists. The DSWD's Sustainable Livelihood Program funded each winner LGU with PHP2 million, while seven finalists earned PHP1 million. The awards are intended to spread excellent practices in tackling issues with nutrition and food security.