Cadiz City’s Mayor Salvador Escalante Jr. beamed with pride as he received a trophy after Cadiz City was once again named among the top winners and implementers of the Walang Gutom program nationwide in 2025. BILIS CADIZ PHOTO
BACOLOD City — The City Government of Cadiz in Negros Occidental has once again been recognized as a top-performing local government unit in the national fight against hunger and malnutrition after being named a two-time awardee of the Walang Gutom program.
The program, implemented by the Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD), is the flagship food security initiative of President Ferdinand Marcos Jr.
Launched in 2024, the Walang Gutom program recognizes local government units (LGUs) that demonstrate effective, sustainable, and community-based interventions to address food insecurity.
Cadiz City was among the 10 LGUs nationwide cited as inaugural awardees during ceremonies held at Malacañang Palace. It retained the distinction when the latest list of winners was announced in late December last year.
City Social Welfare and Development Officer Irene Javelona said the recognition is the result of years of coordinated efforts among city offices and partner agencies, particularly at the grassroots level.
“What makes this award meaningful is that it reflects real work done in our barangays,” Javelona said, noting that strong inter-agency collaboration enabled the city to align programs, avoid duplication, and respond directly to the needs of families.
She added that the recognition serves as motivation to further strengthen interventions and ensure that no Cadiznon experiences hunger.
Mayor Salvador Escalante Jr. said the city’s second Walang Gutom award affirms that food security remains a top priority of his administration.
“Walang Gutom serves as the foundation of our hope to address food insecurity across our city. We are blessed with rich seas and fertile lands, and we will continue to harness these resources so that hunger and malnutrition will not thrive in Cadiz,” the mayor said.
Through its food security initiatives, Cadiz City integrates nutrition services, supplemental feeding, agricultural and food production support, and education-based interventions.
These programs are implemented through a whole-of-government approach to ensure timely, coordinated, and responsive delivery of assistance.
Mayor Escalante emphasized that the award is both a milestone and a responsibility, as the city commits to strengthening and expanding its hunger mitigation programs while sharing best practices that can be replicated by other LGUs.
With the latest recognition, city officials said the focus remains unchanged: to ensure that every Cadiznon family has access to sufficient and nutritious food.
The two-time Walang Gutom award was made possible through the collaborative efforts of the City Social Welfare and Development Office, the City Nutrition Office under the City Health Office, the Office of the City Agriculturist, the City Veterinary Office, and the Department of Education–Schools Division Office of Cadiz./PN
By Mae Singuay