By Brian Campued
As part of the government’s series of targeted interventions to help prevent vulnerable households from sliding into poverty amid higher fuel costs, the Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) on Monday began the rollout of P2,000 cash aid under the expanded Unified Package for Livelihoods, Industry, Food, and Transport (UPLIFT) program.
This follows the announcement made by President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr. on July 16 regarding the expanded aid provided by the government under UPLIFT, which is expected to benefit 7.5 million households, or around 37.5 million Filipinos nationwide.
Beneficiaries for the UPLIFT Assistance are divided into three groups, which consist of 3.5 million poor households who are members of the Pantawid Pamilyang Pilipino Program (4Ps) and the Walang Gutom Program (WGP); 2.5 million poor and near-poor households identified by the Community-Based Monitoring System (CBMS) of the Philippines Statistics Authority (PSA) that are not beneficiaries of 4Ps and WGP; and 1.5 million low-income Social Security System (SSS) members.
WGP beneficiaries started receiving their one-time P2,000 assistance on July 20 during their scheduled food redemption activities, while 4Ps members will begin receiving their one-time cash aid on July 21 through their registered GCash or Land Bank of the Philippines accounts.
For Group 2, registration and manual payout for the first month also began on Monday, with succeeding payouts for August to December to be credited through Gcash or Land Bank.
The third group, which consists of workers with an SSS monthly salary credit of P20,000 and below who are also included in the 2024 CBMS, will also receive their P2,000 monthly assistance starting July 20.
According to the DSWD, the cash assistance will be automatically credited to beneficiaries’ enrolled SSS disbursement accounts. For households with multiple SSS members, the cash aid will be credited only to the oldest account holder.
DSWD Secretary Rex Gatchalian earlier stressed that the list of beneficiaries came solely from the PSA’s CBMS and was not sourced from any officials.
“Paano natin sila tinukoy? Again, wala itong political interference, wala tayong kinuhang listahan mula sa kahit kaninong local government official, kahit kaninong public official, wala ho tayong kinuhang listahan sa kanila. Hinango natin ‘to, tulad ng binanggit ng ating Pangulo, mula sa CBMS o yung community-based monitoring system na ang may hawak naman ay ang Philippine Statistics Authority, so wala tayong kinukuhang ibang listahan,” Gatchalian said in a press conference on July 17.
Distribution of the UPLIFT Assistance will continue in the coming days to ensure that all qualified beneficiaries receive their cash assistance.
Meanwhile, Malacañang said the fuel subsidy for public utility vehicle (PUV) drivers and operators is still ongoing, as the budget for the said assistance was included in the 2025 General Appropriations Act.
“So, sa budget for fuel subsidy PUV drivers and operators ay may P2.5 billion na manggagaling sa 2025 continuing fund; at ang fuel subsidy program or Pantawid Pasada Program ay tuloy-tuloy pa rin po,” Palace Press Officer Claire Castro said in a press briefing on Monday.
The UPLIFT program, established through President Marcos Jr.’s Executive Order No. 110, aims to help ease the impact of rising fuel and food prices and protect the purchasing power of Filipino families through targeted assistance.
-av
