FACT CHECK: Post promising P29,000 cash aid from DSWD is fake

Claim: The Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) will provide cash aid to Filipinos expressing their interest by commenting on the agency’s social media posts.

Rating: FALSE

Why we fact-checked this: Various Facebook posts bearing the claim were posted on February 2. One post garnered over 2,800 reactions, 2,800 comments, and 200 shares, while another received over 1,800 reactions, 1,700 comments, and 190 shares.

The post, which bears the DSWD logo, states, “Mag-comment para makasama sa unang batch sa listahan (Comment here to be included in the first batch on the list).”

The post shows an alleged payout schedule, with selected beneficiaries to receive P29,000 in cash aid.

The Facebook page “Serbisyong Totoo: May Malasakit,” which posted the claim, has over 427,000 followers and consistently posts content claiming to provide official updates on government subsidies. The page also carries a blue checkmark from Meta, a badge that was once reserved for verified public figures and official accounts before Meta introduced monthly subscriptions in 2023.

The facts: The supposed cash aid is fake, and the page that posted the claim is not affiliated with the DSWD or any legitimate government agency.

On Tuesday, February 3, the DSWD released a statement warning the public about the increasing number of false information and social media pages promising cash aid from the agency in exchange for personal information. 

DSWD Assistant Secretary Irene Dumlao, the department’s spokesperson, explained that the agency “does not randomly select beneficiaries through text messages or private chat,” or ask the public to provide sensitive personal information to receive assistance. (READ: Phishing 101: How to spot and avoid phishing)

Orderly process for legitimate programs: The DSWD does provide assistance through programs like the Pantawid Pamilyang Pilipino Program and the Assistance to Individuals in Crisis Situations.

However, Dumlao stressed that all legitimate government aid programs from the DSWD follow a clear and orderly process in coordination with the respective partner agencies and local government units.

“All official announcements regarding DSWD programs are released only through our verified channels. If an offer sounds too easy or asks for sensitive information, that is already a red flag,” Dumlao said. 

The agency encouraged victims of scams to file a report through the Philippine National Police Anti-Cybercrime Group and notify the DSWD’s official channels.

Debunked: Rappler has previously debunked several false claims regarding government cash assistance and online registration links, particularly those related to DSWD programs: 

• FACT CHECK: Fake unconditional cash transfer registration links lead to gambling, blog sites
• FACT CHECK: AI-generated videos about free housing for 4Ps beneficiaries contain fake links
• FACT CHECK: AI-generated videos about free housing for 4Ps beneficiaries contain fake links
• FACT CHECK: DSWD’s Unconditional Cash Transfer program ended in 2020
• FACT CHECK: Link to 4Ps September payout schedule is fake
• FACT CHECK: Registration links for education cash aid lead to shopping sites

– Reinnard Balonzo/Rappler.com 

Keep us aware of suspicious Facebook pages, groups, accounts, websites, articles, or photos in your network by contacting us at factcheck@rappler.com. Let us battle disinformation one Fact Check at a time.