Caraga: The Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) has rolled out its Unified Package for Livelihoods, Industry, Food, and Transport (UPLIFT) Assistance to 63 of 73 local government units (LGUs) in Caraga Region, covering tens of thousands of households grappling with economic pressures. The implementation of UPLIFT Assistance is running in the region from July to December this year.

According to Philippines News Agency, Michael John Andohuyan, the UPLIFT social welfare and development team leader of Agusan del Norte, stated in an interview that the program targets the poor and the near-poor, especially those affected by the crisis caused by the geopolitical conflicts in the Middle East. As of August 11, the UPLIFT initiative has already served 59,700 beneficiaries across the region with a total disbursement of PHP119,400,000.

Beneficiaries of the program are those identified under the Community-Based Monitoring System (CBMS) of the Philippine Statistics Authority (PSA). The program aims to help families cope with daily expenses amid rising oil prices and continuing challenges in the energy sector. Andohuyan mentioned that the region has a target of around 107,730 beneficiaries for the program with a total budget of over PHP1.3 billion.

The rollout has reached 11 LGUs in Agusan del Norte, 21 in Agusan del Sur, 15 in Surigao del Norte, 14 in Surigao del Sur, and two in Dinagat Islands. Payout activities remain ongoing in the remaining LGUs as DSWD-Caraga continues to work with local government partners to ensure that qualified households receive the assistance in a timely and orderly manner.

DSWD-13 emphasized in a separate statement that the continuing rollout of UPLIFT reflects its commitment to bringing social protection closer to communities and providing timely support to families navigating current economic and energy-related challenges.