TACLOBAN CITY (PIA) — For thousands of low-income families across Eastern Visayas, the additional P2,000 received under the government’s Unified Package for Livelihoods, Industry, Food, and Transport (UPLIFT) assistance means more than financial relief—it means food on the table, school support for children, and renewed hope amid rising living costs.
A total of 178,795 Pantawid Pamilyang Pilipino Program (4Ps) beneficiaries in Eastern Visayas have received the one-time UPLIFT top-up grant, providing immediate assistance to help families cope with the effects of the energy emergency and the continued increase in the prices of basic commodities.
The Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) released the cash assistance through beneficiaries’ existing 4Ps cash cards and e-wallets, allowing recipients to access the funds quickly and conveniently.
According to DSWD-8 Regional Director Grace Subong, the UPLIFT assistance was designed to strengthen the purchasing power of vulnerable households during a period of economic challenges.
“The UPLIFT Assistance aims to provide additional financial support so beneficiaries can maintain their purchasing power amid the effects of the energy emergency and the continued increase in the prices of essential goods,” Subong said.
The regional rollout formally began on July 20, when 17,219 beneficiaries—about 20 percent of the regional target—received their payouts during simultaneous kick-off activities in Alangalang, Villaba, Baybay City, Ormoc City and Tacloban City in Leyte; Naval, Biliran; Catarman, Northern Samar; Calbayog City and Catbalogan City in Samar; Borongan City, Eastern Samar; and Sogod and Maasin City in Southern Leyte.
For many beneficiaries, every peso carries the promise of another meal and another day of stability for their families.
Among them is Jenny Martinez of Almeria, Biliran, who said the assistance came just when her family needed it most.
“Thank you very much. We can now buy rice and viands. This is already a big help for our family,” Martinez said in the vernacular, expressing her gratitude to President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr. for extending additional assistance to vulnerable Filipinos through the UPLIFT program.
In Southern Leyte, Junela L. Artigo, a 4Ps beneficiary from Liloan, said the grant will allow her family to purchase additional food and provide school allowance for their children.
“We are thankful to DSWD and to President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr. for this assistance to us 4Ps beneficiaries. We can now buy additional food and provide allowance for our students. Thank you very much for the UPLIFT program,” Artigo said.
The DSWD continues to encourage all beneficiaries to use the assistance for their families’ essential needs, particularly food, education, and other basic household expenses.
As households continue to navigate the impact of higher prices, the UPLIFT assistance has become an immediate source of relief for thousands of families in Eastern Visayas. Beyond the monetary value of the grant, beneficiaries say it reassures them that the government remains responsive to the needs of those most affected by economic challenges.
For families like Martinez’s and Artigo’s, the additional P2,000 represents more than temporary financial support—it is a reminder that every government intervention, no matter how modest, can help ease daily burdens and provide hope for a more secure future.
(RLA/PIA Eastern Visayas)
