Published July 24, 2026
UPLIFT Program 2026 — Executive Order 110, Beneficiary Categories, and Government Response to the Energy Crisis
The Unified Package for Livelihoods, Industry, Food, and Transport (UPLIFT) is the Philippine government's comprehensive cash assistance program established under Executive Order No. 110, signed by President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr. The program responds to the energy emergency declared in late 2025 and the sustained rise in global fuel prices driven by the Middle East conflict. Unlike traditional social protection programs such as 4Ps (which targets chronic poverty with conditional cash transfers), UPLIFT is a temporary, six-month intervention designed to prevent households from falling into poverty due to inflation shocks.
Legal Basis and Policy Framework
Executive Order No. 110 mandates the Department of Social Welfare and Development, in coordination with the Department of Budget and Management, the Department of Labor and Employment, the Social Security System, and the Philippine Statistics Authority, to implement a targeted cash transfer program for vulnerable households. The program design was informed by economic simulations conducted by the Philippine Institute for Development Studies (PIDS) and the Asian Development Bank, which modeled the impact of fuel price increases on household consumption across different income deciles. The P2,000 monthly amount was determined to be sufficient to restore the purchasing power lost by the poorest 20% of households due to fuel-driven inflation.
Program Scale and Coverage
The expanded UPLIFT program targets 7.5 million households, representing approximately 37.5 million individuals. Beneficiaries are drawn from three data sources: the 4Ps national database managed by DSWD, the 2024 Community-Based Monitoring System (CBMS) administered by the Philippine Statistics Authority and the Department of Economy, Planning, and Development, and the SSS member contribution database. The program runs from July 2026 to December 2026, with a total budget allocation of approximately P90 billion drawn from national appropriations and contingency funds.
Three Beneficiary Groups at a Glance
Group 1: 3.5 million households who are existing beneficiaries of the 4Ps or Walang Gutom Program. They receive a one-time P2,000 payment on top of their regular grants. Group 2: 2.5 million poor and near-poor households identified through the 2024 CBMS who are not already covered by 4Ps or Walang Gutom. They receive P2,000 monthly for six months, with the first payout manual and the remaining five digital. Group 3: 1.5 million low-wage workers with an SSS monthly salary credit of P20,000 or below, validated through CBMS. They receive P2,000 monthly for six months via automatic credit to their SSS disbursement accounts.
Economic Impact
The PIDS study that informed UPLIFT found that without intervention, approximately 1.2 million near-poor Filipinos would fall below the poverty line within six months of sustained high fuel prices. The P2,000 monthly cash transfer effectively offsets the inflation-driven loss in purchasing power for these households. DSWD Secretary Rex Gatchalian has described the program as both a social protection measure and an economic stimulus, since the cash assistance is spent on essential goods and services, generating local economic activity.
Learn more: check out UPLIFT Frequently Asked Questions — Eligibility Confusion, Missed Payouts, and Deadlines Explained and Receiving UPLIFT via GCash — Account Setup, Verification, and Troubleshooting Disbursement Issues for additional information, or visit the main portal for a complete overview.