Philippines UPLIFT cash aid program

The Philippine government introduced the Unified Package for Livelihoods, Industry, Food and Transport (UPLIFT) to cushion households from rising living costs. The initial announcement on 16 July detailed a nationwide scheme that would deliver up to P12,000 per household to 7.5 million families, combining monthly subsidies for low‑income Social Security System members and poor households identified through a community‑based monitoring system, plus a one‑time grant for beneficiaries of existing poverty‑relief programs.

A week later, the Department of Social Welfare and Development began the first on‑the‑ground disbursements in the Bicol region, handing out PHP2,000 to more than 8,000 poor and near‑poor households. The rollout will transition from manual payouts to digital wallets or bank accounts and expand to an estimated 181,263 households across several provinces. The Social Security System also confirmed that qualified SSS members nationwide will receive the PHP2,000 directly into their savings accounts, with payments scheduled to continue through December.