The Manila Times
MANILA, Philippines — Malacañang on Tuesday threw its support behind the move to institutionalize the Unified Package for Livelihoods, Industry, Food, and Transport (UPLIFT) Committee. The move was discussed during the weekly meeting of the body, chaired by President Ferdinand Marcos Jr., where initiatives meant to cushion the effects of the hostilities in the Middle East were the focus of the discussions. “Regarding the UPLIFT meeting, the plan to make it a law was discussed. The proposal to make the UPLIFT Bill will be passed,” Presidential Communications Office (PCO) Undersecretary Claire Castro said in Filipino in a press briefing. The proposed measure seeks to remove the two-year ban on the inclusion in the proposed budget of items declared as savings and provide a list of programs, activities and projects that can be funded from the allocated budgets. It likewise aims to give the government the ability to use the unreleased appropriations and unobligated allotment from 2025 and 2026 as stated in the General Appropriations Act (GAA) for the said Fiscal Years (FY), The UPLIFT Committee was created through Executive Order (EO) 110 for a whole-of-government response to the national energy emergency triggered by the war in the Middle East and to stabilize food and fuel prices. It protects against high global oil prices by supporting drivers and farmers, ensuring supply, and implementing welfare programs.
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