FACT CHECK: Link to 4Ps payout schedule not from DSWD

Claim: The Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) posted an online link to the payout schedule for beneficiaries of the Pantawid Pamilyang Pilipino Program (4Ps).

Rating: FALSE

Why we fact-checked this: The Facebook page “Cash Payout Online Service – Tulong sa Lahat,” notorious for spreading disinformation about various Philippine government agency programs, made the claim in the group “4p’s Updates” which has over 423,100 members. As of writing, the post has garnered 686 reactions, 46 comments, and 10 shares. 

The post included a supposed link from DSWD with the payout schedule for 4Ps beneficiaries.

The facts: DSWD refuted the claim in a post on its official and verified Facebook page on March 24.

“Hindi totoo ang Facebook post na ito na ang Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) ay naglalabas ng listahan para sa payout ng Pantawid Pamilyang Pilipino Program (4Ps) sa pamamagitan lamang ng isang link dahil ito ay lumalabag sa Data Privacy Act of 2012,” the agency said. 

(The Facebook post claiming that the Department of Social Welfare and Development released a link to the payout schedule for the Pantawid Pamilyang Pilipino Program is false because it is a violation of the Data Privacy Act of 2012.)

The supposed link in the misleading Facebook post redirects to a blog website, not the official website of the DSWD. 

Reacting to a similar false claim, the social welfare department earlier said that the 4Ps program does not release a payout schedule because grants are automatically credited to the cash cards of beneficiaries.

About 4Ps: Institutionalized under Republic Act No. 11310 in 2019, 4Ps is the cornerstone of the government’s comprehensive approach to poverty reduction. The program provides conditional cash grants to eligible beneficiaries, contingent upon their fulfillment of specific requirements.

The DSWD uses the National Household Targeting System or Listahanan to identify prospective beneficiaries. Instead of online posts, payout notifications are channeled through the city or municipal channels of various local government units. Most beneficiaries receive grants directly through Landbank cash cards, while those in remote areas receive their grants through offsite transactions facilitated by their municipal connections. (READ: FACT CHECK: How 4Ps funds are paid out to beneficiaries)

Fact-checked: Rappler has already debunked several false claims on supposed 4Ps payout schedules and beneficiary lists:

• FACT CHECK: No online posts of 4Ps master list, payout schedule – DSWD
• FACT CHECK: Circulating list of 4Ps beneficiaries is fake – DSWD
• FACT CHECK: Online link for 4Ps registration is fake

Official news: For official updates, refer to the 4Ps website and its official Facebook page. You can also visit DSWD’s official website and its social media accounts on Facebook, X (formerly Twitter), Instagram, and YouTube. – Chinie Ann Jocel R. Mendoza/Rappler.com

Chinie Ann Jocel R. Mendoza is a graduate of Rappler’s fact-checking mentorship program. This fact check was reviewed by a member of Rappler’s research team and a senior editor. Learn more about Rappler’s fact-checking mentorship program here.

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 the #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.

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