BBM Vlog on Feb. 1, 2026. Screen grabbed from Pres. Bongbong Marcos Jr’s video/Facebook.
President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. announced on Thursday the expansion of the government’s United Package for Livelihoods, Industry, Food, and Transport (UPLIFT) program to provide additional financial assistance to millions of low-income Filipinos affected by higher fuel prices.
Marcos said the expanded program would cover about 7.5 million households, equivalent to roughly 37.5 million Filipinos, as the country continued to feel the economic effects of tensions in the Middle East that disrupted global oil markets.
Among the beneficiaries were 3.5 million households enrolled in the Pantawid Pamilyang Pilipino Program and the Walang Gutom Program, each of which would receive a one-time cash assistance of up to Php 2,000.
The President said another 2.5 million poor and near-poor households identified through the 2024 Community-Based Monitoring System would also receive financial assistance under the expanded program.
In addition, around 1.5 million low-income workers and their families verified by the Social Security System would be given Php 2,000 every month from July until December.
Marcos said the Department of Social Welfare and Development would lead the implementation of the assistance program in coordination with other government agencies. He said the expansion was intended to help more Filipino families cope with rising daily expenses while ensuring that aid reached beneficiaries through a faster and more convenient digital distribution system.
The President noted that instability in the Middle East continued to affect the country’s economy by putting pressure on global oil supply, which in turn contributed to higher transport costs and commodity prices.
UPLIFT was created through Executive Order No. 110 in March as a whole-of-government response to cushion the impact of rising fuel prices and other economic challenges brought about by the conflict in the Middle East.
