DSWD: P2.35 M initial UPLIFT cash aid disbursed in Bicol Region

A total of ₱2.35 million has been disbursed in the Bicol Region during the initial payout of the expanded Unified Package for Livelihoods, Industry, Food, and Transport (UPLIFT) program on July 27, the Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) said Tuesday.

The disbursement of UPLIFT assistance—specifically for Group 2 beneficiaries whose payouts were initially conducted onsite—began last July 20.

“Tuloy-tuloy po ang ating pamamahagi ng UPLIFT assistance sa mga beneficiaries, lalo na po dito sa Group 2 na naka-manual payout para makuha namin yung mga digital at e-wallet accounts nila, para naman po hindi na sila pipila sa mga susunod pong payout,” DSWD Asst. Secretary and spokesperson Irene Dumlao said in a press release.

(Our distribution of UPLIFT assistance to beneficiaries is ongoing, particularly for Group 2, who are receiving manual payouts so we can collect their digital and e-wallet account details. This will prevent them from having to queue for future payouts.)

Group 2 beneficiaries are low-income households that are not members of the Pantawid Pamilyang Pilipino Program (4Ps). These are considered “near-poor” households that are just slightly above or 25% above the poverty line.

President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. previously announced the expansion of the DSWD’s UPLIFT program to extend financial assistance to indigent Filipinos affected by rising fuel prices due to the Middle East conflict.

Qualified beneficiaries receive ₱2,000 in financial assistance.

According to the DSWD, the initial P2.35 million in UPLIFT cash aid disbursed in the Bicol Region was distributed to 1,777 households in Donsol, Sorsogon.

The agency added that in the Ilocos Region, distribution of the ₱2,000 cash aid has also reached 1,807 beneficiaries across two local government units—270 individuals from Urbiztondo and 537 individuals from San Jacinto.

“Ngayon po, unti-unti na natin nabibigyan ang beneficiary households nationwide, at sinisiguro natin na sa mga susunod na buwan, makakarating agad ang tulong sa pamilya nang mas mabilis,” Dumlao said.

(We are now gradually reaching beneficiary households nationwide, and we are ensuring that in the coming months, assistance will be delivered to families even faster.)

Other beneficiary categories include:

Group 1: Members of 4Ps and the Walang Gutom Program, who will receive a one-time additional assistance of up to P2,000.

Group 3: Social Security System (SSS) members with a monthly salary credit of P20,000 or below.

Groups 2 and 3 beneficiaries are set to receive P2,000 in the next six months, or until December 2026.

The DSWD previously noted that payouts will transition to an automated system: Group 1 will receive funds in their existing LandBank accounts, Group 2 through their preferred digital wallet or bank account, and Group 3 via their registered SSS disbursement accounts. —Lyjah Tiffany Bonzo/LDF, GMA News