Legazpi city: The Department of Social Welfare and Development in Bicol (DSWD-5) has commenced the distribution of financial assistance under the Unified Package for Livelihoods, Industry, Food, and Transport (UPLIFT) program, delivering PHP2,000 each to over 8,000 poor and near-poor households in the region.
According to Philippines News Agency, DSWD-Bicol chief administrative officer Michael Jerome Bellena emphasized that the UPLIFT program is part of the government's comprehensive strategy under President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr. to support Filipinos facing economic challenges due to the ongoing tension in the Middle East. Bellena noted that the aim in Legazpi is to reach 500 families, while the target for the entire Bicol region, including the provinces of Camarines Sur, Camarines Norte, Sorsogon, Masbate, and Catanduanes, stands at 181,263.
The initial payout is being conducted manually, but future disbursements will transition to digital methods. Bellena explained, "The first payout is manual because we want to onboard them first. Let's get the data: do they have a digital wallet? If they don't have one, they need to have a digital wallet. Their LandBank account, GCash, Maya, PalawanPay, and others are fine."
Bellena further clarified that the first group of about 3.5 million beneficiaries, primarily from the Pantawid Pamilyang Pilipino Program and the Walang Gutom Program, receive assistance directly via cash cards or digital wallets. The second group, comprising roughly 2.5 million poor and near-poor households across the Philippines, including the Bicol Region, will receive PHP2,000 through the UPLIFT cash assistance, with data sourced from the Community-Based Monitoring System (CBMS).
Beneficiaries like Kim Mapula from Baybay, Legazpi City, have expressed their appreciation for the cash assistance, highlighting its critical role in meeting daily needs such as food and household expenses. Similarly, Cielo Aringo Bellen from Barangay 37, Legazpi City, plans to use the aid for her maintenance medication, acknowledging its timely support. Jojo Lorilla, a construction worker from Pinaric, Legazpi City, shared that the aid would help cover his children's school needs and other household expenses.
