Manila: The Philippine National Police has committed assistance in securing the manual distribution of cash assistance for qualified beneficiaries under the expanded Unified Package for Livelihood, Industry, Food, and Transport (UPLIFT) program this week. PNP chief Gen. Jose Melencio Nartatez Jr. directed all concerned police units to strengthen the deployment of personnel at cash aid distribution sites to maintain peace and order and help facilitate the payout process.
According to Philippines News Agency, this initiative aligns with the directive of President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr., through the guidance of Interior Secretary Jonvic Remulla, to ensure the safe, orderly, and efficient distribution of government assistance to eligible beneficiaries nationwide. The Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) explained that the expanded UPLIFT program is the next phase of financial assistance for citizens affected by the energy emergency caused by the Middle East crisis.
The program targets three groups of beneficiaries: 3.5 million households under the Pantawid Pamilyang Pilipino Program and the Walang Gutom Program, 2.5 million poor and near-poor households identified through the Philippine Statistics Authority's Community-Based Monitoring System, and 1.5 million low-income members of the Social Security System. Nartatez assured that the PNP has a security protocol for such activities due to their involvement in cash assistance and fuel subsidy distribution across the country.
Local commanders have been tasked with conducting real-time security adjustments and regularly updating their intelligence gathering related to security and peace and order aspects. Additionally, police commanders are also expected to prepare for non-security-related matters such as medical emergencies. Coordination with local government units and other agencies and stakeholders is seen as vital in this effort. "The PNP will also work closely with local government units to ensure the smooth implementation of the program in every distribution area,' Nartatez stated.
Earlier, DSWD Secretary Rex Gatchalian indicated that the program would benefit 7.5 million poor, near-poor, and low-income households nationwide. Gatchalian emphasized that the PHP2,000 monthly assistance was based on studies showing the purchasing power loss faced by vulnerable households due to rising fuel prices and inflation. He noted that the assistance is designed to prevent vulnerable households from sliding into poverty as higher fuel costs continue to erode purchasing power.
Government simulations have revealed that prior to the oil energy emergency sparked by the Middle East tension in March, approximately 14.8 million Filipinos were living in poverty. Without intervention, this number could rise to almost 16.22 million, with many poor households sinking deeper into poverty and those near-poor Filipinos at risk of falling below the poverty line. Gatchalian stated that the expanded UPLIFT program could help prevent about 1.2 million Filipinos from becoming poor, with nearly a million of them from the near-poor sector.
