UPLIFT provides financial relief to over 600 households in Claver, Surigao Norte
By Susil D. Ragas
SURIGAO CITY, Surigao del Norte (PIA) — About 620 qualified households across the municipality of Claver in Surigao del Norte received immediate financial support following the Department of Social Welfare and Development’s (DSWD) payout implementation of the program on Unified Package for Livelihood, Industry, Food, and Transport (UPLIFT).
The distribution targeted eligible families categorized under Group 2 Category, which focuses on identified poor and near-poor households. Each beneficiary received an initial cash assistance grant of ₱2,000 during the activity.
To streamline future assistance and promote financial inclusion, subsequent UPLIFT payouts for the category will be through digital transfers.
Held at the Ladgaron Gymnasium in Claver, the distribution was jointly organized by DSWD field personnel and the local government of Claver through the Municipal Social Welfare and Development Office (MSWDO).
Nanay Alejandra, one of the beneficiaries, expressed deepest gratitude for the transformative support provided to her family.
She said that prior to joining the UPLIFT program, securing a steady income and managing their daily household expenses was a constant struggle. “The financial assistance, livelihood guidance, and skills training offered by the Department of Social Welfare and Development provided us with far more than temporary relief—they gave us the tools to achieve true self-reliance.”
The DSWD’s program under UPLIFT is a targeted social protection initiative designed to cushion low-income Filipino families against inflationary pressures, rising cost-of-living expenses, and global energy market instability.
Beneficiaries were not selected through random sign-ups; instead, they were pre-identified through official government welfare databases, leveraging the Community-Based Monitoring System (CBMS) to ensure aid reaches the most vulnerable sectors.
The UPLIFT framework integrates support across key economic vulnerabilities, including food security, local transport costs, and small-scale livelihood resilience.
In close partnership with the local government, this undertaking underscored President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr.’s commitment to deliver transparent, timely, and data-driven safety nets to families in need in the municipality. (SDR, PIA Surigao del Norte with a report from LGU- Claver PIO)
