More than 978,000 low-income members of the Social Security System (SSS) have received the PHP2,000 Unified Package for Livelihoods, Industry, Food, and Transport (UPLIFT) assistance to help cushion the impact of the energy emergency, the Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) said Monday.
DSWD spokesperson Assistant Secretary Irene Dumlao said in an interview on PTV4’s Bagong Pilipinas Ngayon program that the beneficiaries belong to Group 3 of the UPLIFT assistance program.
The distribution of UPLIFT assistance is part of President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr.’s directive to provide immediate financial support to vulnerable families, transport workers, and low-income individuals affected by rising commodity prices.
“Group 3 covers employed low-income earners with a Monthly Salary Credit below PHP20,000 who have remitted at least one contribution to the SSS in 2025 or 2026 and possess an active SSS disbursement account,” Dumlao said.
The SSS directly handles the release of the financial assistance to the registered bank or disbursement accounts of qualified beneficiaries.
Under Group 3, beneficiaries will receive PHP2,000 monthly for six consecutive months until December. The payout is part of the nationwide rollout of the subsidy program for low-income households under various beneficiary categories.
“As of this morning, nasa mahigit 4.4 million na mga households na po ang nakatanggap ng (more than 4.4 million households have already received the) PHP2,000 UPLIFT assistance for the month of July,” Dumlao said.
Under Group 1, more than 2.8 million households enrolled in the Pantawid Pamilyang Pilipino Program (4Ps) received their one-time PHP2,000 subsidy through cash cards last week, along with more than 214,000 recipient households under the Walang Gutom Program.
Meanwhile, more than 417,000 households under Group 2 have received their initial payouts out of the target 2.5 million poor and near-poor families identified through the 2024 Community-Based Monitoring System data of the Philippine Statistics Authority.
Dumlao said payouts are continuing nationwide to ensure that all identified beneficiaries receive assistance aimed at cushioning the effects of the Middle East conflict and the resulting energy concerns.
Group 2 beneficiaries will likewise receive PHP2,000 monthly for six months, with succeeding payouts to be transferred directly to their nominated bank accounts, cash cards, or electronic wallets registered during initial local government unit (LGU) payout schedules.
“Dahil itong UPLIFT assistance ay targeted, ibig sabihin tukoy na po natin kung sino yung makakatanggap ng tulong (Because this UPLIFT assistance is targeted, meaning we already have identified who should receive the aid) to cushion the impact of the ongoing energy emergency, hindi na po kinakailangan na mag-apply o mag tungo sa isang opisina sapagkat kayo po ay makakatanggap (no need to apply or to go to an office anymore because you [are already entitled to] receive),” Dumlao said. (PNA)
