FACT CHECK: No ‘allowance program’ offered by DepEd

Claim: The Department of Education (DepEd) is giving students a monthly allowance ranging from P3,000 to P7,000.

Rating: FALSE

Why we fact-checked this: The claim was posted on March 17 by the Facebook page “DSWD Landbank Pay out” in a group with over 704,200 members. As of writing, it has 1,500 reactions, 2,400 comments, and 95 shares. 

The post shows the DepEd logo and a photo of Vice President and Education Secretary Sara Duterte, along with the text “DepEd Allowance.” According to the post, elementary students can receive P3,000, while high school and college students can receive P5,000 and P7,000, respectively.

The post also contains a supposed registration link for interested parents and students. 

The facts: DepEd had previously denied the existence of the alleged allowance program. Responding to a similar claim in January, DepEd said it does not offer or implement a supposed “baon program.” The department also debunked other fake posts in an advisory on X (formerly Twitter) earlier this month.

Subsidies for students: In 2021, DepEd provided a subsidy for basic education students under Republic Act 11494 or the Bayanihan to Recover as One Act. Eligible students were entitled to either a P3,000 allowance or subsidies of up to P5,000 to offset outstanding tuition fees. DepEd, however, clarified that the subsidy was a one-time provision.

The department offers several government assistance and subsidy programs for students, such as the Education Contracting Service program for junior high school students, the Senior High School Voucher program, and the Joint Delivery Voucher program intended for senior high school students pursuing the technical-vocational livelihood track.

These programs, however, do not entail providing students with monthly allowances but instead provide subsidies for students’ tuition.

Dubious details: The post contains several dubious details that suggest it is fake. It claims that DepEd provides allowances to college students, but the department’s mandate is limited to primary and secondary education. The governing body for tertiary students is the Commission on Higher Education.

The link provided in the post does not redirect to the official DepEd website or any legitimate Philippine government platform but to a blog site, suggesting that the post may be part of a phishing scheme. Social media users who provide their personal details for the supposed application may expose themselves to identity theft. (READ: Phishing 101: How to spot and avoid phishing)

Fact-checked: Rappler has debunked fake financial aid schemes posted by pages pretending to be associated with DepEd:

• FACT CHECK: DepEd doesn’t offer monthly allowance to elementary students
• FACT CHECK: DepEd doesn’t offer up to P10,000 scholarship via online forms
• FACT CHECK: DepEd has no ‘Baon Program’
• FALSE: DepEd online giveaway of free WiFi, gadgets

For official updates on DepEd programs and services, refer to its official website and 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.

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