BUTUAN CITY, Aug. 12 -- The Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) has rolled out its Unified Package for Livelihoods, Industry, Food, and Transport (UPLIFT) Assistance to 63 of 73 local government units (LGUs) in Caraga Region, covering tens of thousands of households grappling with economic pressures.

The implementation of UPLIFT Assistance is running in the region from July to December this year.

"The program targets the poor and the near-poor, especially those affected by the crisis caused by the geopolitical conflicts in the Middle East," said Michael John Andohuyan, the UPLIFT social welfare and development team leader of Agusan del Norte, in an interview Wednesday.

He added that as of Aug. 11, UPLIFT has already se...