TACLOBAN CITY — A total of 17,219 poor and low-income households in Eastern Visayas are set to receive initial cash assistance under a national government program designed to help families cope with rising living costs, particularly higher fuel and energy prices.
The Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) Eastern Visayas launched Monday, July 20, the regional rollout of the Unified Package for Livelihoods, Industry, Food, and Transport (UPLIFT) program, with beneficiaries from 12 cities and municipalities receiving the initial tranche of assistance.
Among the beneficiaries was Napoleon Escalona of Barangay Cabalawan, Tacloban City, who said the P2,000 cash assistance would help his family purchase food and other basic necessities.
“P2,000 is a big help. We can now buy rice and other necessities, especially now that the children have returned to school,” Escalona said.
He urged fellow beneficiaries to use the assistance wisely and prioritize their families’ basic needs rather than spend the money on non-essential items.
Escalona also expressed hope that the program would eventually be expanded to include more families in need of government assistance.
Another beneficiary, 63-year-old Francisco Ocenar of Aeroville, Barangay 106, Sto. Niño, Tacloban City, said he would use the cash aid primarily for the education and daily needs of his five grandchildren.
“This is for my grandchildren who are studying because we are having a difficult time in life. We will use it for food, especially for the children,” Ocenar said.
DSWD Eastern Visayas Regional Director Grace Subong, meanwhile, assured the public that the list of beneficiaries was based on validated data from authorized national government agencies and was not prepared by local government units (LGUs).
Subong said the program uses data from partner agencies, including the Philippine Statistics Authority (PSA), which identifies households classified as poor, near-poor, and those above the poverty threshold.
“As you may have noticed, our data came directly from the PSA. Not a single piece of data came from local government officials,” Subong said.
She clarified that the role of LGUs is limited to informing residents about the program and helping disseminate information about the cash assistance.
“What our LGUs do is simply inform the public that this program is available and disseminate information about it,” she added.
The DSWD also uses data from the Social Security System to identify low-income earners who may qualify for assistance.
Subong said the regional launch represents the initial phase of the UPLIFT program, allowing the DSWD to ensure its smooth implementation before expanding the distribution to other municipalities in Eastern Visayas.
The national government allocated P86.095 million for the initial rollout, which covers 17,219 beneficiaries, or 20 percent of the region’s target recipients.
Qualified beneficiaries will receive P2,000 in monthly assistance from July to December under the program. Members of the Pantawid Pamilyang Pilipino Program and beneficiaries of the Walang Gutom Program will also receive a one-time cash assistance.
The UPLIFT program is a national government initiative that provides emergency financial assistance to poor, near-poor, and low-income households affected by rising fuel and energy costs.
Aside from Tacloban City, cash payouts are also being conducted in other areas across Eastern Visayas.
Ormoc City has the highest allocation for the initial rollout, with 3,831 beneficiaries and a total payout of P19.155 million. It is followed by Calbayog City, with 2,833 beneficiaries and P14.165 million in assistance.
Other recipient areas are Alangalang, Leyte, with 1,886 beneficiaries and P9.43 million; Baybay City, 1,562 beneficiaries and P7.81 million; Villaba, Leyte, 1,488 beneficiaries and P7.44 million; Catbalogan City, 1,221 beneficiaries and P6.105 million; Borongan City, 957 beneficiaries and P4.785 million; Catarman, Northern Samar, 904 beneficiaries and P4.52 million; Sogod, Southern Leyte, 340 beneficiaries and P1.7 million; Maasin City, 261 beneficiaries and P1.205 million; and Naval, Biliran, 222 beneficiaries and P1.11 million.
(ROEL T. AMAZONA)
