UPLIFT beneficiaries allocate cash aid for food, medicine, home repairs

Beneficiaries of the government’s expanded Unified Package for Livelihoods, Industry, Food, and Transport (UPLIFT) program began claiming their cash aid on Monday, saying they will spend it on daily necessities and house repairs in preparation for the rainy season.

In Oscar Oida’s “24 Oras” report, the cash aid distribution, spearheaded by the Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD), was simultaneously held across the country.

In Muntinlupa City, Luzviminda Gemina, 68, said that qualifying as a UPLIFT beneficiary was an “answered prayer,” because she can finally fix their house, especially their roof that is full of holes.

“Nagulat na nga lang ako eh sa tagal ng panahon, ngayon lang ako nakatanggap. Nakatanggap man ako, sir, e bigas sa senior. Sakto po na makabili akong yero, kahit tatlo lang muna kasi ang kailangan na yero sa bahay ko, anim,” Gemina said.

(I was surprised because this is the first time I've received something like this. Before, I only received the rice allowance for seniors. This is just in time for me to buy roofing sheets—even just three for now, because my house actually needs six.)

Around 43 beneficiaries from Muntinlupa City received their P2,000 cash assistance on Monday. They were the only ones who showed up out of the 124 individuals who qualified in the program based on the Philippine Statistics Authority’s 2024 community-based monitoring system.

According to local authorities, some of the qualified individuals can no longer be located.

“‘Yung iba naman po nakakulong, ‘yung iba nasa probinsya na po. Talagang mostly wala na po sila dito sa Muntinlupa,” said Maritess Dumasena of the Social Service Department of Muntinlupa City.

(Some of them are currently jailed, while others have already moved back to the provinces. Most of them are really no longer here in Muntinlupa.)

Around 1,193 residents in Binangonan, Rizal, qualified for the program.

In Oida’s report, many of the residents lined up early to make sure that they would be able to claim their cash aid.

A beneficiary from Binangonan shared that she intends to use the cash assistance to buy food: “Pangbili rin po ng kahit papaano ng bigas po [at] pagkain. Malaking tulong na rin po ‘yon kaysa sa wala."

(It will be used to buy rice and food, at the very least. It's already a big help compared to getting nothing at all.)

Meanwhile, in Marikina City, cash distribution was also reportedly orderly.

A senior citizen beneficiary said she will spend her financial assistance on her maintenance medicines.

“Maayos naman sila. Syempre, para sa maintenance ko kasi dami kong gamot na iniinom,” Adelina Cruz said.

(It went well. Of course, this will go to my maintenance, because I take a lot of medications.)

Some residents raised concerns about not qualifying as a beneficiary.

DSWD Undersecretary for Policy and Planning Group Adonis Sulit said: “Sa pagtutulungan po sa LGU, hahanapin sila at eventually magco-come up po kami ng iba pang mekanismo para malaman ng taong-bayan kung sila ba ay beneficiary ng UPLIFT assistance.”

(Through our cooperation with the LGU, we will locate them, and we will eventually come up with other mechanisms so the public can find out if they are beneficiaries of the UPLIFT assistance.)

However, Sulit clarified that they will not add names to the list of beneficiaries.

“Lilinawin lang namin, hindi po magdadagdag ng listahan sa UPLIFT kasi po ‘yan po ay targeted, ‘yan po ay pre-identified na ayon sa PSA list na nabigay sa DSWD,” he said.

(We just want to clarify that we will not be adding more names to the UPLIFT list because this is targeted; these beneficiaries were already pre-identified based on the PSA list provided to the DSWD.)

Aside from Metro Manila, UPLIFT's cash aid distributions were also held in other areas in the country such as in Cagayan Valley, Cebu, Laguna, Cagayan de Oro, and Davao Region.

For the next few days of the UPLIFT distribution, the DSWD said, representatives may claim the cash, particularly those who fall under the Group 2 category, or those who are classified as poor or near-poor by the PSA.

President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. earlier said the UPLIFT assistance program would benefit 7.5 million households, or 37.5 million Filipinos nationwide, amid rising fuel prices. —LDF, GMA News