BAGUIO CITY, July 20 -- he Department of Social Welfare and Development in Cordillera Administrative Region (DSWD-CAR) on Monday said it has kicked off the distribution of PHP2,000 cash aid to 53,212 beneficiaries of the first two groups under the Unified Package for Livelihood, Industry, Food and Transport (UPLIFT) program.

Of the total, 35,934 are Pantawid Pamilyang Pilipino Program (4Ps) beneficiaries who have already received their PHP12,000 top-up (PHP2,000 monthly for six months) directly in their digital wallets prior to kickoff.

The remaining 17,278 are poor and near-poor households listed under the Community-Based Monitoring System (CBMS), the DSWD-CAR said.

Enrique Gascon, DSWD-CAR officer-in-charge regional director, said in...