Marcos: 37.5M Filipinos to benefit from expanded UPLIFT assistance

President Ferdinand “Bongbong” Marcos Jr. on Thursday announced that the government has expanded the United Package for Livelihoods, Industry, Food, and Transport (UPLIFT) program, providing financial assistance to indigent Filipinos affected by rising fuel prices due to the Middle East conflict.

In a video message, the President said that through the UPLIFT Assistance, 7.5 million households or 37.5 million Filipinos nationwide will receive cash assistance from the government.

Specifically, Marcos said that 3.5 household beneficiaries of the Pantawid Pamilyang Pilipino Program (4Ps) and the Walang Gutom Program will receive a one-time additional assistance of up to P2,000.

The assistance will also be extended to 2.5 million poor and near-poor households identified through the 2024 Community-Based Monitoring System (CBMS).

Likewise, 1.5 million low-income workers and their families, as verified by the Social Security System (SSS), will receive P2,000 per month from July until December.

Marcos said that the Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) will spearhead the program in coordination with other government agencies.

“Layunin ng UPLIFT Assistance na mapangalagaan ang kakayahan ng mga pamilyang Pilipino na matustusan ang kanilang pang-araw-araw na pangangailangan. Kasabay nito, pinalawak natin ang saklaw ng tulong upang mas maraming Pilipino ang makinabang sa programa,” Marcos said.

(The UPLIFT Assistance aims to preserve the capability of Filipino families to provide for their daily needs. At the same time, we are expanding the scope of this assistance so that more Filipinos can benefit from the program.)

“Titiyakin ng pamahalaan na maipagkaloob ang tulong na ito nang mabilis, maayos, at mas maginhawa para sa mga Pilipino sa pamamagitan ng digital na pamamaraan,” he added.

(The government will ensure that this assistance is provided quickly, efficiently, and more conveniently for Filipinos through digital methods.)

UPLIFT is a whole-of-government framework established in March this year through Executive Order No. 110, seeking to address the economic impacts of the Middle East crisis and rising fuel prices.

Marcos said that the Philippines continues to feel the impact of the tensions in the Middle East, which pose a threat to the global oil supply.

“Nakakaapekto ito sa ating ekonomiya at presyo ng mga bilihin. Kapag tumataas ang gastusin, mas bumibigat ang pasanin ng bawat pamilyang nagsisikap tugunan ang kanilang pangangailangan, lalo na ang mga Pilipinong nasa laylayan ng lipunan,” the President explained.

(This affects our economy and the prices of commodities. As the prices go higher, the burden becomes heavier for every family striving to meet their needs, especially for poor Filipinos.) —AOL, GMA News