Manila: The Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) will begin the rollout of its cash assistance under the expanded Unified Package for Livelihood, Industry, Food, and Transport (UPLIFT) program by next week. This initiative aims to provide financial support to 7.5 million poor, near-poor, and low-income households across the country.
According to Philippines News Agency, DSWD Secretary Rex Gatchalian announced in a press briefing that the UPLIFT assistance, unveiled by President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr., marks the next stage of financial aid to help families cope with the energy emergency stemming from geopolitical tensions in the Middle East. The program targets three groups: 3.5 million households in the Pantawid Pamilyang Pilipino Program (4Ps) and the Walang Gutom Program (WGP), 2.5 million poor and near-poor households identified by the Philippine Statistics Authority's Community-Based Monitoring System (CBMS), and 1.5 million low-income Social Security System (SSS) members.
Gatchalian outlined the disbursement timeline, noting that group one and three beneficiaries would receive their aid soon, while manual payouts, validation, and digital account enrollment for group two would commence next week. The goal is to complete the majority of distributions by the end of July, as mandated by the President.
Households under 4Ps and WGP will receive a one-time PHP2,000 assistance, whereas CBMS-identified households and qualified SSS members will get PHP2,000 monthly from July to December. Cash aid for 4Ps beneficiaries will be credited to their Land Bank or GCash accounts, with WGP beneficiaries receiving manual payouts during food redemption schedules. The DSWD will initially conduct manual payouts for CBMS beneficiaries to verify their existence and register their payment channels, with local government units organizing payout schedules.
The list of beneficiaries, derived solely from the PSA's CBMS, excludes political interference. Qualified SSS members must have a monthly salary credit under PHP20,000 and at least one contribution in the past year, with only the oldest member in a household receiving the benefit.
Gatchalian emphasized the inclusion of near-poor households, vulnerable to economic shocks, in the assistance program. He noted that these households often hover just above the poverty line and can easily slip below it due to crises. The PHP2,000 monthly assistance is based on studies assessing the purchasing power loss due to rising fuel prices and inflation.
Government simulations indicated that before the energy emergency, 14.8 million Filipinos lived in poverty; without intervention, this could rise to 16.22 million. The expanded UPLIFT program aims to prevent about 1.2 million Filipinos from becoming poor, with nearly a million from the near-poor sector.
