More than 5.78 million poor, near-poor and low-income households nationwide have received financial assistance under the Marcos administration’s Unified Package for Livelihood, Industry, Food, and Transport (UPLIFT) program, the Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) said Monday.
DSWD spokesperson Assistant Secretary Irene Dumlao said the agency is nearing completion of the distribution, particularly for Group 1 beneficiaries who are entitled to a one-time payout and have bank or digital accounts.
“Rest assured po sa ating mga benepisyaryo na matatanggap po nila ang ipinangakong tulong ng pamahalaan para maibsan ang kanilang hirap na dinaranas sa panahon ng (Rest assured that our beneficiaries will receive the promised assistance of the government to relieve them from the hardship they are experiencing in times of) energy emergency,” Dumlao said.
Of the total beneficiaries, 3,214,485 households under Group 1 have received assistance. The group covers beneficiaries of the Pantawid Pamilyang Pilipino Program (4Ps) and the Walang Gutom Program (WGP).
Group 2, composed of poor and near-poor households identified through the Philippine Statistics Authority’s Community-Based Monitoring System, has recorded 1,755,561 beneficiaries.
Another 811,368 Group 3 beneficiaries, consisting of low-income members of the Social Security System (SSS), have received their cash aid through their registered disbursement accounts.
“Patuloy ang ating koordinasyon sa mga local government units at partner agencies gaya ng SSS para magtuloy-tuloy ang progreso ng UPLIFT. Alinsunod sa utos ng ating Pangulong Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr. na tulungang makabangon ang bawat Pilipino sa panahon ng emergency, hindi po tumitigil ang DSWD na mag-monitor at mamahagi ng (We maintain our coordination with the LGUs and partner agencies like SSS for the continuous progress of UPLIFT. In compliance with the order of Pres. Ferdinand Marcos Jr. to help every Filipino to rise during an emergency, the DSWD did not stop from monitoring and distributing) UPLIFT assistance,” Dumlao said.
Field validation is ongoing to locate remaining beneficiaries under Groups 2 and 3 who have yet to receive their initial payout.
Dumlao said some beneficiaries may have moved to new addresses, experienced changes in their economic status or have dormant bank accounts. (PNA)