MANILA, Philippines — The Department of Budget and Management (DBM) on Thursday unveiled the "Unified Package for Livelihoods, Industry, Food, and Transport" (UPLIFT) microsite, which reflects the government’s efforts to cushion the impact of surging oil prices driven by the war in the Middle East.
In a press conference in Malacañang, Budget Undersecretary Goddes Hope Libiran said the new "transparency tool" was a fulfillment of President Ferdinand Marcos Jr.'s promise of "a coordinated, transparent and people-centered service for the Filipino people."
"This sense of urgency comes from the fact that in any crisis, timing is crucial. People need to see that help is real, ongoing, and reaching them. Even the most extensive government action means little if people cannot understand or access it. So, the UPLIFT microsite solves this gap," Libiran said.
"So essentially, this micro site shows that this whole government response starts at the top and that our President is actively engaged, publicly accountable and squarely focused on the Filipino people," she added.
When asked why there was a need to launch such a microsite, Libiran said the government wanted the public to have a “single source of truth” regarding its response to the Middle East crisis amid the spread of fake news.
"So, to sum it up, the UPLIFT microsite takes everything this administration is doing, to shield Filipinos from the effects of the Middle East crisis, it shows that we are present, we are mobilizing, we are here, united and under the leadership of President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr., we are moving forward together with every Filipino citizen in mind," Libiran said.
"So, this platform will continue to grow and improve. But we chose to make it available now, so that Filipinos can already see and understand and access the help meant for them when it matters most," she added.
The public may access the site here: https://uplift.gov.ph.
