ORANI, Bataan (PIA) — Some 245 poor and near-poor residents of Orani, Bataan received their first P2,000 cash assistance under the expanded Unified Package for Livelihoods, Industry, Food, and Transport (UPLIFT) program, strengthening the Marcos administration’s efforts to help vulnerable families cope with rising living costs.
The Department of Social Welfare and Development, in cooperation with the local government, distributed the assistance during a payout at the National Housing Authority Building in Orani town on July 20.
The beneficiaries belong to Group 2 of the expanded UPLIFT program, which covers poor and near-poor households identified through the 2024 Community-Based Monitoring System (CBMS).
Nationwide, about 2.5 million Group 2 households will receive P2,000 monthly from July to December 2026 under the expanded UPLIFT program.
The initiative reinforces President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr.’s commitment to strengthening the country’s social protection system by providing sustained financial assistance to help vulnerable families meet their basic needs and cushion the impact of rising living costs.
Using data from the 2024 CBMS, the expanded UPLIFT program adopts a targeted and evidence-based approach in identifying qualified beneficiaries, helping ensure that government assistance reaches those who need it most through an efficient and transparent distribution system.
The program forms part of the administration’s broader efforts to promote inclusive growth, reduce poverty, and improve the resilience of Filipino families.
Among the beneficiaries was 61-year-old fisherman Eduardo Nuguid, who said the assistance would help ease the financial burden of his daily expenses amid the challenges facing his livelihood.
Nuguid shared that he now lives alone after his children started their own families, while his wife is in the Visayas caring for her sick parent.
To support himself, he relies on fishing and accepts construction work whenever opportunities arise, but both sources of income remain uncertain.
He said fishing no longer guarantees a stable income because operating costs continue to rise while fish catches have declined.
“Dating P150 lang ang gasolina sa pagbabangka, ngayon halos dumoble na. Malaki ang gastos sa gasolina pero mahina ang huli ng isda kaya minsan gastos lang at wala kang kinikita. Napakahirap ng buhay (My fuel for the boat used to cost only P150, but now it has almost doubled. Fuel expenses are high, yet the fish catch is low, so there are times when all you do is spend money without earning anything. Life is really difficult),” he said.
Despite the hardships, Nuguid expressed gratitude for the government’s assistance, saying he would use the cash aid for household expenses.
“Itong natanggap kong tulong mula sa pamahalaan, pagkakasyahin ko muna para sa mga gastusin sa bahay. Malaking tulong po talaga ito sa amin (I will make the assistance I received from the government stretch to cover our household expenses. This is truly a big help for us),” he shared.
He also commended President Marcos Jr. for expanding assistance to low-income Filipinos.
“Maganda ang ginagawa ni Pangulong Ferdinand Marcos Jr. Kahit maraming naninira sa kanya, may magandang nagagawa siya para sa bayan. Nakakatulong siya sa amin na mahihirap, katulad nitong pagbibigay ng ayuda. Malaking tulong po talaga ito sa amin (President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. is doing a good job. Despite the criticisms against him, he has done good things for the country. He has been helping poor people like us through assistance such as this. This is truly a big help for us),” he added.
Nuguid’s experience reflects the realities faced by many low-income households whose livelihoods remain vulnerable to increasing fuel costs and unstable sources of income.
Through the expanded UPLIFT program, the national government continues to deliver timely and targeted assistance that helps families address immediate needs while advancing long-term social protection objectives.
The payout in Bataan underscores the government’s continuing effort to bring essential services closer to communities, supporting President Marcos Jr.’s agenda of building a more resilient, inclusive, and responsive social protection system for vulnerable Filipinos. (CLJD/RPQ, PIA Region 3-Bataan)
