ILOILO CITY, July 14 -- Expanding the Department of Social Welfare and Development's Walang Gutom Program could help the Philippines achieve its Zero Hunger target within the next two to three years, a National Anti-Poverty Commission (NAPC) official said Tuesday.

In a media briefing, NAPC Lead Convenor Secretary Lope Santos III said increasing the program's budget would enable it to reach more food-poor families and support the country's commitment to Sustainable Development Goal 2, which aims to end hunger.

The DSWD is targeting 1 million beneficiary families, citing Philippine Statistics Authority data showing about 760,000 families live below the food poverty threshold.

With each family receiving PHP3,000 a month, the program would...