Mali, Jan. 15 -- The Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) regional office has released food assistance to 1,183 families in Eastern Visayas since December as part of the expanded "Walang Gutom" program, an initiative meant to address the incidence of involuntary hunger and malnutrition.

The DSWD recorded last week the highest number of beneficiaries at 985. Identified families received food packs and PHP3,000 food credits under the program, said DSWD Eastern Visayas regional information officer Joshua Kempis in a phone interview Wednesday.

In the first two weeks of January, those who received food assistance were from the towns of Lawaan, Dolores, and Maslog in Eastern Samar province; Jiabong, Sta. Margarita and Catbaloga...