FACT CHECK: DSWD has no ‘Pantawid Gutom Program’

Claim: Filipinos can sign up to avail of the Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD)’s P7,000 monthly allowance under its Pantawid Gutom Program.

Rating: FALSE

Why we fact-checked this: The Facebook post containing the claim has 705 shares, 128 reactions, and 82 comments as of writing. It was posted by a Facebook page named “Cash allowance” with 22,000 followers.

The post provided a supposed registration link for the “poorest of the poor” to avail of the cash allowance.

The facts: DSWD does not have a program providing a P7,000 monthly allowance for one year, nor a program called “Pantawid Gutom.” 

Instead of linking to the official DSWD website, the fake registration links in the Facebook post redirect users to a website with instructions for SIM card registration.

Walang Gutom Program: The department’s program for hunger and poverty alleviation is called Walang Gutom 2027, a food stamp program that gives food credits worth P3,000 to households identified as food poor. The credits can be used to purchase food from DSWD-accredited partner retailers. 

The program will be rolled out progressively, starting with 3,000 families in the pilot run this year. The program will roll out to 300,000 households by the first quarter of 2024, followed by an additional 300,000 households, until it reaches the government’s one million target.

4Ps: The DSWD also runs the poverty alleviation scheme, Pantawid Pamilyang Pilipino Program (4Ps). Patterned after a conditional cash transfer scheme, 4Ps provides cash grants to beneficiaries who meet certain conditions. 

Families identified as among the poorest in the country are eligible for cash grants if they have children below 18 years old or if they have a pregnant woman at the time of registration.

Beneficiaries must also comply with the following conditions to receive cash grants: 

• Pregnant women must get pre- and post-natal care, and be attended by a skilled/trained professional during childbirth
• Children 0-5 years old must receive regular health and nutrition services, including check-ups and vaccination
• Children 3-4 years old must attend daycare or preschool classes at least 85% of the time
• Children 5-18 years old must attend elementary or secondary school classes at least 85% of the time
• Children 1-14 years old must avail of deworming pills twice a year
• Parents or guardians must attend family development sessions 

A household-beneficiary can receive monthly cash grants ranging from P1,650 to P3,450, which are expected to be used to improve their health, nutrition, and education.

How beneficiaries are identified: For both programs, beneficiaries are identified through the National Targeting Household System or Listahanan 3, a targeted survey conducted by the DSWD to identify the poorest households in the country. 

Previous false claims: Rappler has previously debunked claims from dubious Facebook pages and websites claiming to offer financial aid from the DSWD:

• FACT CHECK: Online DSWD page linking to aid form for education is fake
• FACT CHECK: No online link for unemployment financial aid – DSWD
• FACT CHECK: DSWD does not provide cash assistance for completing SIM card registration
• FALSE: Online registration for P2,000 monthly gov’t aid for mothers
• FALSE: DSWD posts online link for financial aid

To avoid getting misled by fake pages, visit the DSWD’s official website and official Facebook, Twitter, and YouTube accounts. – Ailla Dela Cruz/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. You may also report dubious claims to #FactsFirstPH tipline by messaging Rappler on Facebook or Newsbreak via Twitter direct message. You may also report through our Viber fact check chatbot. Let us battle disinformation one Fact Check at a time.