FACT CHECK: Online link for 4Ps registration is fake

Claim: The Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) posted a registration link for the Pantawid Pamilyang Pilipino Program (4Ps) on Facebook.

Rating: FALSE

Why we fact-checked this: A page named “DSWD Financial Assistance” posted the claim on the Facebook group “DSWD PAYOUT UPDATES,” which has 1.7 million members. 

As of writing, the September 17 post has 526 reactions, 267 comments, and 12 shares. 

The facts: There is no online registration for 4Ps. The links in the post redirect to a blogging site that dates back to November 2022, not to the official DSWD website. 

How beneficiaries are selected: 4Ps, the government’s flagship poverty alleviation program, provides cash grants to beneficiaries who meet certain conditions. In an earlier email to Rappler in November 2022, the DSWD said 4Ps members are selected through a standardized targeting system called the Listahanan or the National Targeting Household System for Poverty Reduction. The survey identifies poor households nationwide that can be potential beneficiaries of various government programs. (READ: Hindi sa blogging site magpaparehistro para sa 4Ps)

After identifying potential beneficiaries, the registration process begins which involves determining if they match the following criteria: 

• families with children aged 0-18 years old; and/or
• households with a pregnant family member at the time of registration

Eligible beneficiaries are then required to submit different documents, and their registration is subject to validation. An interview is also conducted during the validation phase through a community assembly or house-to-house session to ensure the accuracy of the submitted documents. 

Potential 4Ps members are informed by their city or municipal links but are only considered beneficiaries once they have completed registration and bank forms. The selected 4Ps members then undergo orientation and an oath-taking ceremony.

Data privacy law: The DSWD does not post the names of 4Ps beneficiaries on Facebook or on any other site in line with the Data Privacy Act.

The agency also reminded the public to avoid and disregard invitations and false information from sites purporting to be from the DSWD.

Fact-checked: Rappler has already debunked claims on 4Ps and other financial aid schemes supposedly from the DSWD:

• FACT CHECK: Online DSWD page linking to aid form for education is fake
• FACT CHECK: DSWD has no ‘Pantawid Gutom Program’
• FACT CHECK: DSWD does not provide cash assistance for completing SIM card registration
• FALSE: P10,000 monthly allowance for 4Ps beneficiaries, solo parents

For official updates on DSWD programs and services, refer to its official website, Facebook, X (formerly Twitter), and YouTube accounts. – Ailla Dela Cruz/Rappler.com

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