SANTA IGNACIA, Tarlac (PIA) — A total of 820 residents of Santa Ignacia, Tarlac received P2,000 each in cash assistance from the Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) during the continued rollout of the Unified Package for Livelihoods, Industry, Food and Transport (UPLIFT) Program under the administration of President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr.
Among those who benefited from the initiative were Cornelio Labrador of Barangay Caanamongan and Violeta Sacatropez of Barangay Botbotones, who both shared that the cash assistance would help them meet their daily needs.
Labrador said that with the challenges of providing for his family’s daily needs, he takes on various jobs, including farming and construction work.
“Mahirap pero nairaraos naman. Doble kayod kaya kung anong trabaho iyong pwedeng pasukan, kinukuha ko na lang (Life is difficult, but we manage to get by. I work twice as hard, so I take whatever job is available),” he stated.
Labrador added that the financial assistance would help ease some of their household expenses, particularly for food and his daughter’s schooling.
“Gagamitin ko ito pambili ng mga kailangan namin sa bahay. Malaking tulong na po ito lalo para makabili ng bigas at para na rin sa mga kailangan ng anak ko sa iskwela (I will use it to buy the things we need at home. This is already a big help, especially in buying rice and covering my daughter’s school needs),” he said.
Meanwhile, Sacatropez shared that, as a widow, the financial assistance would help provide for her family’s daily needs.
“Naglalaba lang po ako kung may gustong magpalaba o kaya naman nagtitinda ng kung ano-ano para may maipanggastos. Napakalaking tulong po itong nakuha naming ayuda. Malaki na na ang maitutulong nito sa pamilya namin (I earn a living by doing laundry whenever someone needs the service, and I also sell various items to help cover our expenses. The assistance we received is a great help and will go a long way in supporting my family),” she added.
Both beneficiaries also expressed their gratitude to the DSWD and the national government for the assistance, saying it would help them cope with their everyday expenses.
The beneficiaries belonged to Group 2, which covers poor and near-poor households identified through the 2024 Community-Based Monitoring System and who are not beneficiaries of the Pantawid Pamilyang Pilipino Program or the Walang Gutom Program.
As part of the government’s efforts to support low-income families, the beneficiaries will continue to receive P2,000 in monthly financial assistance until December 2026. (CLJD/AJRR, PIA Region 3–Tarlac)
