FACT CHECK: DOLE-NLRC has no scholarship program

Claim: The Department of Labor and Employment-National Labor Relations Commission (DOLE-NLRC) is offering students a P30,000 scholarship allowance. 

Rating: FALSE

Why we fact-checked this: The claim was made in a December 19 Facebook post, which has 374 reactions, 368 comments, and 64 shares as of writing. 

It was posted on the Facebook page “Philippine Scholar 2023,” which has 12,000 followers. 

According to the post, students in the elementary, secondary, and tertiary levels may apply for the scholarship. Interested applicants are instructed to submit their application through an online form. The supposed release of the cash allowance is on January 20, 2024. 

The facts: Both the supposed scholarship program and application link are fake. The labor department does not offer a P30,000 scholarship, a DOLE-NLRC official told Rappler on Tuesday, December 19. 

The official also clarified that the Facebook page “Philippine Scholar 2023” is not affiliated with the department.

A closer look at the supposed application link shows that it redirects to a dubious blog website promoting a scholarship program of the Department of Social Welfare and Development. The link does not lead to any official Philippine government website.

Labor body: DOLE-NLRC said that it is not part of their mandate or any of their programs to provide scholarships. 

The NLRC is DOLE’s quasi-judicial body responsible for adjudicating “labor and management disputes involving both local and overseas workers through compulsory arbitration and alternative modes of dispute resolution.”

Fact-checked: Rappler has already debunked several false claims on supposed scholarship programs:

• FACT CHECK: DSWD does not have monthly allowance program for students
• FACT CHECK: Link for CHED scholarship program posted by fake DSWD page

For official updates on DOLE programs and services, refer to its official website, Facebook, X (formerly Twitter), and Instagram accounts. – James Patrick Cruz/Rappler.com

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