DSWD releases UPLIFT assistance to 1,080 Dinagat Islands’ town beneficiaries
By Renelle L. Escuadro
BUTUAN CITY (PIA) — The Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) Caraga, in partnership with the municipal government of Basilisa in the Province of Dinagat Islands, conducted the payout for the Unified Package for Livelihood, Industry, Family, and Transportation (UPLIFT) under the Ayuda para sa Kapos ang Kita Program (AKAP) on August 4 at the gymnasium of Barangay Santo Niño.
The activity provided P2,000 in cash assistance to every 1,080 beneficiaries from the municipality to address immediate financial needs and support low-income households affected by economic challenges.
The unified package is a comprehensive, whole-of-government framework to ensure domestic energy supply, essential services, continuity of economic activity, and the welfare of all citizens, particularly vulnerable sectors, while mitigating the impact of the conflict in the Middle East.
According to DSWD Caraga, the UPLIFT assistance provides P2,000 from July to December 2026 to qualified households not currently receiving regular government assistance. The support aims to help families cope with daily expenses amid rising oil prices and continuing challenges in the energy sector.
Meanwhile, on Aug. 14, another payout of the UPLIFT assistance took place at the municipal conference hall in Loreto, Dinagat Islands, where beneficiaries also received P2,000 each.
Desrame M. Simblante shared in her Facebook post that her mother is one of the beneficiaries of the UPLIFT payout. “Salamat kaayo nga naapil akong nanay ani nga UPLIFT program. Wala nay bana na mosuporta sa iya mao dako na kaayong tabang para sa iya P2,000.”
(Thank you for including my mother as one of the beneficiaries of the UPLIFT program. She has no husband to support her, so the P2,000 is a big help to her)
The local government of Loreto announced that qualified beneficiaries will continue to receive cash assistance from the UPLIFT program until December 2026, in fulfillment of President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr.’s efforts to provide timely assistance to vulnerable families while promoting livelihood recovery and community resilience.
DSWD Caraga reported that the UPLIFT assistance in Caraga has reached 86%, or 63 local government units (LGUs), out of the region’s 73 LGUs.
Regarding the August 12 payout, completed distributions covered 11 LGUs in Agusan del Norte, 21 in Agusan del Sur, 15 in Surigao del Norte, 14 in Surigao del Sur, and two in Dinagat Islands.
It added that payout activities are ongoing in the remaining LGUs as the department continues to work with local government partners to ensure that qualified households receive the assistance in a timely and orderly manner.
The continuing rollout of UPLIFT reflects DSWD Caraga’s commitment to bringing social protection closer to communities and providing timely support to families navigating current economic and energy-related challenges. (RLE, PIA Dinagat Islands, with reports from MIO Basilisa/LGU Loreto/DSWD Caraga)