Joselito Malig

Article (news)

Raphael Bosano

ABS-CBN News

MANILA —The Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) said its newly launched Unified Package for Livelihood, Industry, Food and Transport (UPLIFT) program is designed as a temporary intervention to cushion vulnerable Filipino families from the effects of rising prices during the energy emergency.Social Welfare Secretary Rex Gatchalian said the program differs from existing social protection initiatives such as the Pantawid Pamilyang Pilipino Program (4Ps) and the Walang Gutom Program, which are long-term interventions focused on improving human capital and reducing chronic poverty.Instead, UPLIFT is meant to provide immediate financial relief to families at risk of slipping below the poverty line because of inflation and higher fuel and food costs.&quot;Hinubog ito para masigurado na during this energy emergency, napoprotektahan ang mga kababayan. Bakit natin ito ginagawa? Dahil itong energy emergency tumaas ang presyo ng bilihin. Pag wala tayong gagawin, ayon sa datos, 1.2 million na pamilyang Pilipino ang lulubog papunta sa kahirapan,&quot; Gatchalian said in an interview on ANC’s Headstart.The program will run for six months — from July to December — with some qualified beneficiaries receiving cash assistance of P2,000 per month.According to the DSWD, about 7.5 million Filipino families are expected to benefit from the program.<div> </div><div>Who qualifies for UPLIFT?</div>The agency identified three categories of beneficiaries.The first covers households already enrolled in the 4Ps and Walang Gutom Program. These families will receive the P2,000 assistance once.The second includes poor households as well as families whose incomes are only slightly above the national poverty threshold of about P13,000 per month.The third category consists of low-wage earners identified through Social Security System (SSS) records, specifically workers earning P20,000 or less monthly.Beneficiaries were identified using data from the Philippine Statistics Authority&#x27;s Community-Based Monitoring System, the National Household Targeting System (Listahanan), and the SSS.Gatchalian said the program is intended not only as social protection but also as an economic measure.&quot;Maraming datos na nagsasabi na ang mga ekonomiyang hindi kikilos at hahayaan silang malubog sa kahirapan, mas mahirap yung economic rebound pagtapos ng energy emergency. Hindi lang ito proteksyon sa mahirap kundi economic stimulus din ito. Mas mabilis mag rebound kapag gagawin natin ito.”He added that a study by the Philippine Institute for Development Studies (PIDS) found that the P2,000 cash assistance could help restore the purchasing power lost by the country&#x27;s poorest households because of inflation.&quot;Sa study ng PIDS, yung 2 thousand pesos pag binigay mo yan, mababalik na natin yung purchasing power ng bottom 20% na pinakamahirap. Dahil sa inflation nabubura yung spending power nila, so sa 2K kahit saan man sa Pilipinas, sapat na yan para maging positive ulit o marestore yung purchasing power na nawala sa pagtaas ng bilihin.”<div> </div><div>Relief for struggling families</div>For Donald Mitra, a tricycle driver from Marikina, the assistance may be modest but it will help stretch his family&#x27;s budget.Mitra earns only around P300 to P500 a day from driving his tricycle. Working roughly 20 days a month, he brings home between P7,000 and P12,000 monthly—an income that must support his wife and their five children.He said most of the money will go directly to keeping his tricycle on the road, allowing him to continue earning a living.&quot;Bubudgetin ko na lang ito sa motor kasi hanapbuhay ko tricycle. Ibubudget ko 500 sa gas. Tapos yung natitira ibili ko ng ulam tsaka bigas,” he said.He added that rising expenses have forced him to make sacrifices, including skipping breakfast so his children can eat.&quot;Ang gingawa ko minsan sa umaga, hindi na ako nagaalmusal sa bahay. Mga bata nalang. Pag may time ako, hinahatid ko na lang para menos gastos. Sakripisyo lang.”Another beneficiary, single mother Remedios Bataliran, faces an even heavier burden. She is raising eight children while also caring for her elderly parents.Although grateful for the assistance, she acknowledged that the money would likely last only a few days because of the high cost of basic necessities.&quot;Siguro sir wala pa itong one week kasi ang mahal ng mga bilihin eh. Araw lang sir.”Despite the financial challenges, Bataliran said she knows government assistance is only temporary.&quot;Kelangan magpursige pa rin. Sariling sikap. Hindi pwedeng umasa asa sa iba.Wala namang forever sa ayuda. Hindi naman ito always. Bihira lang ito. Pag kung kelan lang meron,” Bataliran said. While the DSWD estimates that the P2,000 assistance can restore the purchasing power of many low-income households, the realities faced by Filipino families often extend beyond what official statistics capture.Poverty data generally define a family as consisting of five members—a mother, father, and three children. In many Filipino households, however, grandparents, grandchildren, nieces, nephews, and other relatives also share the same home and rely on the same income.For families supporting far more than five members, the temporary cash assistance may help ease immediate expenses, but many acknowledge it can only go so far against the continuing rise in the cost of living.

The Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) said its Unified Package for Livelihood, Industry, Food and Transport (UPLIFT) program is designed as a temporary intervention to cushion vulnerable Filipino families from the effects of rising prices.

The Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) said its Unified Package for Livelihood, Industry, Food and Transport (UPLIFT) program is designed as a temporary intervention to cushion vulnerable Filipino families from the effects of rising prices.

DSWD: UPLIFT cash aid aims to prevent millions of Filipinos from falling into poverty

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DSWD: UPLIFT cash aid aims to prevent millions of Filipinos from falling into poverty

Raphael Bosano,

ABS-CBN News

Published July 20, 2026 06:35 PM PHT

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