No Additional UPLIFT Funds, Palace Says Amid Mideast Crisis

NO ADDITIONAL funds have been set aside for the government’s expanded Unified Package for Livelihoods, Industry, Food and Transport (UPLIFT) program despite the prospect of higher oil prices from the conflict in the Middle East, Malacañang said. Future releases will depend on requests from implementing agencies, Palace Press Officer Clarissa A. Castro told a news briefing on Tuesday. “There will be no additional funding for UPLIFT. It will depend on the actual needs and requests of the concerned implementing agencies,” Ms. Castro said in Filipino, noting requests will be assessed by the Department of Budget and Management. This is even as the Department of Energy earlier this month said that the continuing Middle East war could drive another increase in domestic pump prices, after oil prices had already risen sharply. “We know that there is a need to provide assistance to our fellow Filipinos, not only because of the crisis in the Middle East, but also because of the frequent typhoons, floods and whatever disasters the Philippines is prone to experience,” Ms. Castro said. She also said there would be no separate UPLIFT line item in the proposed 2027 National Expenditure Program. UPLIFT was adopted under Executive Order No. 110 in March amid the state of national energy emergency. — Erika Mae P. Sinaking Information Source: BusinessWorld Nation