At a glance:

• Claim: The Facebook page “DSWD Sap 25k Ayuda” said the Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) is giving away P10,000 and a sack of rice; Filipinos just need to register to receive them. 
• Rating: FALSE
• The facts: The Facebook page and the website the post links to are not affiliated with the DSWD. The department has not announced any such program on their official channels. 
• Why we fact-checked this: This was flagged by Facebook’s fact-checking tool as potentially misleading. It has 266 reactions, 211 comments, and 114 shares, and has been viewed 1.2 million times in the past 24 hours. People are providing their contact details in the post’s comments section.

Complete details: 

On December 22, the Facebook page “DSWD Sap 25k Ayuda” said that the Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) is giving away P10,000 and a sack of rice. To claim these, Filipinos need to register. A link was provided in the caption of the photo. 

When clicked, the link leads to a blog called “DSWD News and Update.” It said Filipinos could choose to receive P5,000, five sacks of rice, or grocery items for Christmas – they just need to choose among the three and provide their details in the comments to receive them. The post was dated October 25. 

The Facebook post was flagged by Facebook’s fact-checking tool as potentially misleading. It has 266 reactions, 211 comments, and 114 shares, and has been viewed 1.2 million times in the past 24 hours. People are providing their contact details in the post’s comments section.

This claim is false. 

The Facebook page “DSWD Sap 25k Ayuda” and the website “DSWD News and Update” are not affiliated with the DSWD. The department has not announced any such program on their official channels. 

The DSWD’s official social media pages are provided as links on their website, which ends in “.gov.ph,” like all other government websites listed in the Official Gazette. 

The DSWD’s official Facebook page also has a blue check mark to indicate that Facebook has confirmed that it is authentic.

On August 12, 2020, the DSWD warned the public against pages that are spreading fake information about its emergency subsidy program (ESP). They also reminded beneficiaries not to give out their M-PIN, one-time PIN, or other confidential information to people who introduce themselves as financial services providers (FSP) or members of the DSWD. 

The ESP was part of the Bayanihan to Heal As One Act in response to the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020. However, its implementation was riddled with blunders as it took months for the aid to be distributed. Aid, in cash or kind, was also given out to the “NCR Plus” area – Metro Manila, Bulacan, Cavite, Laguna, and Rizal – in 2021.

The DSWD was also grilled by senators in October for their choice of FSP, questioning if their deal with Star Pay was a Pharmally-like deal. Pharmally Pharmaceutical Corporation was the subject of scrutiny after bagging biggest contracts for the government’s pandemic supplies despite being only a few months old. – Vernise Tantuco/Rappler.com

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