ANTICIPATING the surge in prices of oil and other basic commodities caused by the resumption of the Middle East conflict, President Ferdinand Marcos, Jr. announced last Thursday the release of P12.38 billion for the expanded United Package for Livelihoods, Industry, Food, and Transport (UPLIFT) assistance, which is expected to benefit over 37 million Filipinos deemed vulnerable to the crisis.
The chief executive made the announcement after the United States and Iran exchanged fresh waves of strikes earlier this week, when the peace talks between the two countries hit a snag after both parties accused each other of violating the memorandum of understanding (MOU) they signed last month to end the conflict in the Middle East and reopen the Strait of Hormuz.
Tensions in the Middle East crisis broke out in February when the US and Israel attacked Iran before it eased last June with the signing of the MOU.
Marcos said the expanded UPLIFT will help 7.5 million households or 37.5 million Filipinos nationwide who are reeling from the rising cost of living.
Created under Executive Order No. 110, UPLIFT aims to provide support to those affected by the Middle East crisis, which includes fuel and rice subsidies, service contracting, as well as cash aid.
‘As expenses rise, the burden becomes heavier for every family striving to meet their needs, especially for Filipinos living on the margins of society,’ Marcos said in Filipino in a video message posted in his social media account.
‘The goal of UPLIFT Assistance is to safeguard the ability of Filipino families to meet their daily needs. At the same time, we have expanded the scope of the assistance so that more Filipinos can benefit from the program,’ he added.
The expanded UPLIFT aid includes the distribution of a one-time P2,000 cash aid to 3.5 million beneficiaries of the Pantawid Pamilyang Pilipino Program (4Ps) and the Walang Gutom Program of the Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD).
In a press briefing, Palace Press Officer Claire Castro said the measure also includes the monthly P2,000 financial assistance for the 1.5 million workers and their families under the list of the Social Security System (SSS), as well as the 2.5-million poor and near-poor in the 2024 Community-Based Monitoring System.
The distribution of the monthly cash aid will start this month and last until December.
Castro said the Department of Budget and Management (DBM) has already issued a Special Allotment Release Order and Notice of Cash Allowance for the P12.375 billion to fund the said interventions.
She said the fund for the expanded UPLIFT will come from government savings under National Budget Circular 602 and 603.
Due to limited funds, Castro said government cannot provide cash aid to those in the Middle class.
‘It wouldn’t be an issue if we had an unlimited budget, but the government is currently stretching the available funds to make ends meet,’ she said.
The expanded UPLIFT will complement the existing measures implemented by the government to support sectors affected by the Middle East conflict including providing free toll for delivery trucks, as well as non-public transport sector, which will pass in expressways.
Asked if the government has the budget to sustain the assistance if the Middle East conflict continues to drag on in the coming months, the Presidential Communications Office undersecretary said there is currently no specified budget for that scenario.
‘That is precisely what is being studied. Once the budget is available, it will be released immediately to assist those most in need, while balancing the government’s funds,’ Castro said.