President Bongbong Marcos announced expanded cash assistance for 7.5 million low-income, poor and near-poor households as renewed fighting in the Middle East threatens global oil supplies, raises fuel costs and pushes up the prices of basic goods.
The assistance will fall under the government’s Unified Package for Livelihood, Industry, Food and Transport program, or UPLIFT. The Department of Social Welfare and Development will implement the package with other agencies.
“Under this program, immediate aid will be provided to 7.5 million households, or 37.5 million Filipinos, across the country,” Marcos said in a statement released Thursday.
The largest and longest payment will cover 1.5 million low-income workers and their families whose records have been verified by the Social Security System. Each qualified household will receive ₱2,000 every month from July to December, bringing the total assistance to ₱12,000 over six months.
Another 3.5 million beneficiaries of the Pantawid Pamilyang Pilipino Program and the Walang Gutom Program will receive a one-time payment of up to ₱2,000. The government will also extend assistance to 2.5 million poor and near-poor households identified through the 2024 Community-Based Monitoring System.
Marcos said the package aims to preserve the purchasing power of Filipino families, protect livelihoods and maintain economic stability as global uncertainty reaches household budgets. Higher oil prices can raise transportation expenses and place more pressure on the prices of food and other basic goods.
The announcement came after a fragile peace agreement collapsed and the United States and Iran returned to active combat. Weeks of back-channel diplomacy failed, followed by US airstrikes and a naval blockade in response to Iranian attacks on commercial shipping in the Strait of Hormuz. The renewed conflict has disrupted global oil supply and raised the risk of further price increases.
Marcos said the government will use digital platforms to make distribution faster, more efficient and more convenient. The aid is intended to cushion families from higher fuel costs while helping them maintain spending on essential needs.
