The Marcos administration has extended two rounds of cash relief to Filipinos affected by the global economic challenges, first giving ₱10,000 each to 1.9 million drivers and riders, and now extending ₱2,000 in monthly aid to 7.5 million Filipinos under the Uplift program from July to December 2026.
Social Welfare Secretary Rex Gatchalian made the disclosure in an interview on DZRH News program Special on Saturday on July 25, as part of the DZRH SONA 2026 Series.
He said the first phase of Uplift, covering drivers and riders, cost the government ₱9 billion and was validated as effective by an SWS survey commissioned by AusAID.
“9 sa 10 recipients ang nagsabing nakatulong ‘yun na ‘wag mawala ang kanilang hanapbuhay,” Gatchalian said.
The second phase of Uplift now extends to 7.5 million Filipinos in three groups: 4Ps and Walang Gutom beneficiaries totaling 3.5 million who will receive a one-time ₱2,000; 2.5 million near-poor families earning between ₱13,000 and ₱17,000 per month who will receive ₱2,000 monthly from July to December; and 1.5 million low-wage SSS members with monthly salary credits of up to ₱20,000 who will also receive ₱2,000 monthly.
Undersecretary Pinky Romualdez said the Uplift assistance runs from July to December 2026, with payments delivered both manually and digitally through e-wallets such as GCash.
Gatchalian said the program is grounded in a PIDS study showing that without intervention, 1.2 million families could fall back into poverty due to the economic impact of the energy emergency.
“Kung wala tayong gagawin, by paggising natin, bumalik na lahat sila ulit sa kahirapan, almost 1.2, eh. Pero sa disenyo na ‘to wherein Group 2 and Group 3 will get ₱2,000 monthly from July to December, mapoprotektahan natin,” Gatchalian said.
He stressed that Uplift is a temporary protection measure, not a permanent ayuda program, and is specifically designed to shield vulnerable Filipinos during a period of extraordinary economic stress.
“Itong Uplift, energy emergency protection lang ‘to,” Gatchalian said, adding that the goal is to ensure that the 2 million families lifted out of poverty under the Marcos administration do not slip back.
He said economies that invest in protection during emergencies recover faster, because citizens do not fall into deep poverty and are able to resume productive economic activity more quickly once the crisis passes.
