DSWD-7 rolls out UPLIFT in Central Visayas

CEBU, Philippines — The Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD)-7 has begun rolling out the government’s Unified Package for Livelihood, Industry, Food, and Transport (UPLIFT) program in Central Visayas.

The agency urged beneficiaries to follow payout schedules, enroll in digital payment platforms, and secure their Philippine Identification System (PhilSys) National ID for future government assistance.

Speaking during the Philippine Information Agency’s Kapihan sa PIA on Wednesday, DSWD-7 Director Shalaine Marie Lucero said Central Visayas is the first region in the country to organize its Regional UPLIFT Committee following President Ferdinand Marcos Jr.’s issuance of Executive Order No. 110 declaring a state of national energy emergency amid the global fuel price surge.

Lucero said the UPLIFT program will benefit 7.5 million households nationwide through three beneficiary groups jointly managed by the DSWD and the Social Security System (SSS).

The first group covers 3.5 million households composed of beneficiaries of the Pantawid Pamilyang Pilipino Program (4Ps) and the Walang Gutom Program already listed in the DSWD database. They will receive a one-time P2,000 cash assistance.

In Central Visayas, Group 1 includes about 135,000 beneficiaries, with around 102,000 in Cebu and 33,000 in Bohol.

Lucero said all 4Ps beneficiaries in the region have already received the P2,000 through their LandBank cash cards, while Walang Gutom beneficiaries will receive the assistance manually during the redemption of their monthly food packs.

The region also has 23,206 Walang Gutom beneficiaries—19,579 in Cebu and 3,627 in Bohol—with payouts expected to continue until the end of July and, if necessary, until the second week of August.

The second group consists of 2.5 million poor and near-poor households identified through the 2024 Community-Based Monitoring System (CBMS) of the Philippine Statistics Authority (PSA). These beneficiaries will receive P2,000 monthly from July to December.

Lucero said Central Visayas has 152,672 target households under Group 2, comprising 98,350 households in Cebu and 54,322 in Bohol.

She said the region initially launched payouts in six local government units to test the enrollment of beneficiaries into the government’s Government-to-Person (G2P) digital payment platform.

During the July 20 nationwide kickoff, DSWD-7 paid 1,053 beneficiaries amounting to about P2.1 million.

The regional director said payouts are now expanding to other local government units, including Mandaue City, Aloguinsan, Badian, Tagbilaran City, and Cebu City, with the agency aiming to complete payouts by August 10.

Meanwhile, PSA Regional Statistical Services Office-7 Chief Statistical Specialist Leopoldo Alfanta Jr. said the agency plays a key role in the implementation of UPLIFT through the CBMS and the PhilSys National ID.

Alfanta said the 2024 CBMS serves as the basis for identifying poor and near-poor households eligible for the program, while the National ID provides secure identity verification through demographic and biometric information.

He said PSA has deployed separate teams at payout venues to register individuals without National IDs and validate or update CBMS records.

Alfanta urged the public to cooperate with government data-gathering activities and provide truthful information to ensure that assistance reaches those who need it most.

He said the CBMS, mandated under Republic Act No. 11315, is conducted every three years, with preparations already underway for the 2027 nationwide rollout.

For its part, the SSS clarified that its role is limited to providing the DSWD with the list of qualified low-income members.

Acting Head of the SSS Visayas Central 1 Division Eric Coronado said eligible beneficiaries under Group 3 are employed members with at least one monthly contribution in 2025 or 2026 and a monthly salary credit of P20,000 or below.

The DSWD then matched the SSS data with the CBMS database to identify qualified beneficiaries.

Coronado emphasized that pensioners are not covered by the program.

Unlike Groups 1 and 2, qualified Group 3 beneficiaries will receive their assistance directly through their enrolled SSS disbursement accounts and no longer need to report to payout venues.

The initial release is expected before the end of July.

SSS Senior Communications Analyst Sherwin Dan Solibaga II encouraged members to keep their email addresses, mobile numbers, and disbursement accounts updated through the My.SSS portal to ensure they receive notifications and future government assistance without delay.

The DSWD, PSA, and SSS also appealed to the public to continue supporting government data-gathering activities and digitalization initiatives to improve the delivery of social protection programs and ensure that assistance reaches the country’s most vulnerable sectors. — /MRM (FREEMAN)