FACT CHECK: No online posts of 4Ps master list, payout schedule

Claim: The Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) posted a link to the January 2024 payout schedule and a list of beneficiaries of the Pantawid Pamilyang Pilipino Program (4Ps).

Rating: FALSE

Why we fact-checked this: The claim was made by the page “DSWD Cash Assistance Contact Center” in a Facebook group with 22,100 members as of writing.

The January 12 post claims that the 4Ps payout schedule is already out, and beneficiaries can check the master list through a link provided in the post. As of writing, the post has garnered 68 reactions, 15 comments, and 14 shares.

The facts: Both the Facebook post and the link are not affiliated with the DSWD, the agency confirmed to Rappler in an email and phone call on Wednesday, January 17.

In a post on its official and verified Facebook page on January 17, the DSWD clarified that it does not post online lists publicly in line with the Data Privacy Act.

“Maliban pa rito, walang schedule ng payout na pinopost ang 4Ps sapagkat ang grants ay awtomatikong pumapasok sa cash card ng ating mga benepisyaryo,” the department added.

(Additionally, the 4Ps program does not post a payout schedule because the grants are automatically credited to the cash cards of our beneficiaries.)

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

About 4Ps: Implemented by the DSWD, 4Ps is the government’s national strategy for reducing poverty as provided in Republic Act No. 11310 signed in 2019. The program provides conditional cash grants to beneficiaries who meet certain conditions.

The DSWD uses the National Targeting Household System or the Listahanan to identify potential beneficiaries. Qualified beneficiaries are notified of their payouts not through online posts, but through the city or municipal links of different local government units. Most beneficiaries receive their grants directly via Landbank cash cards, while those in far-flung areas receive the grant through offsite payments via their municipal links. (READ: FACT CHECK: How 4Ps funds are paid out to beneficiaries)

Debunked: Rappler has fact-checked fake links shared by Facebook pages posing as government agencies:

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. Let us battle disinformation one Fact Check at a time.

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