FACT CHECK: No P5,000 to P8,000 aid for poor families from DSWD

Claim: The Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) will provide P5,000 to P8,000 worth of assistance to poor families in every barangay for two months.

Rating: FALSE

Why we fact-checked this: The Facebook post bearing the claim, which was posted on October 3, has 202 shares, 29 reactions, and 28 comments as of writing. The claim has also been reposted by several Facebook accounts. 

The post claims that the DSWD will provide P5,000 to P8,000 in food, non-food, and cash aid to poor individuals and families for two months. The supposed eligible beneficiaries are senior citizens, persons with disabilities, solo parents, sari-sari store owners, construction workers, and public utility vehicle drivers, among others.

It also says residents who did not receive the aid should contact the Department of the Interior and Local Government (DILG).

The facts: The DSWD denied the claim in a Facebook post on October 15. It says neither the DSWD nor the DILG will give P5,000 to P8,000 worth of aid to indigent barangay residents. 

“Walang katotohanan na mayroong ipinamamahagi na P5,000 hanggang P8,000 sa bawat residente ng barangay ang [DSWD] at ang [DILG]. Ang mga naturang kagawaran ay walang ganitong uri ng aktibidad o programa,” the social welfare department said.

(It is not true that the DSWD and the DILG are giving P5,000 to P8,000 to each barangay resident. The departments have no such activity or program.)

The DSWD also advised the public to verify information they read online, especially if it does not come from a credible source.

Old claim: Similar claims started circulating in 2020 during the height of the COVID-19 pandemic. That year, the social welfare department, as mandated by the Bayanihan to Heal as One Act, implemented the Emergency Subsidy Program (ESP). This program was aimed at supporting the 18 million poorest families in the country amid the pandemic.

Aside from the ESP, the DSWD also implemented various measures, including Assistance to Individuals in Crisis Situations, augmentation of food and non-food items, sustainable livelihood programs, pensions for indigent senior citizens, and supplementary feeding programs. 

Fact-checked: Rappler has fact-checked several claims on financial aid schemes supposedly from the DSWD:

• FACT CHECK: DSWD has no scholarship program with P6,500 cash allowance
• 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

Official accounts: 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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