FACT CHECK: Post on DSWD educational cash aid is fake

Claim: The Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) will provide educational cash assistance for school year 2024-2025 for those who have registered through an online link.

Rating: FALSE

Why we fact-checked this: The claim was posted by the page “DSWD 4ps Update” in the Facebook group “Landbank update all region 2024” with over 93,300 members. As of writing, the post has 122 reactions, 42 comments, and nine shares. 

The post, which features the photo of former DSWD secretary Erwin Tulfo, claims that the DSWD is set to release payouts for its educational cash assistance program. According to the post, the department will provide students with the following cash assistance: P3,000 (elementary), P5,000 (junior high school), P7,000 (senior high school), and P10,000 (college). 

Interested applicants are encouraged to submit their applications and provide their school ID and report card through an online link. 

The page “DSWD 4pd Update” also has multiple posts promoting a supposed scholarship program of the Commission on Higher Education.

The facts: The supposed application link is fake. The post also uses outdated details shared in an announcement made nearly two years ago by former DSWD secretary Tulfo, who has since been replaced by current social welfare secretary Rex Gatchalian.

The misleading Facebook post used a photo of Tulfo taken from his Facebook video on August 17, 2022, where he talked about the department’s educational assistance through the Assistance to Individuals in Crisis Situations (AICS) program.

In the video, Tulfo explained that the DSWD would provide cash assistance to students-in-crisis for their educational needs. He specified that the department would provide P1,000 to elementary students, P2,000 to high school, P3,000 to senior high school, and P4,000 to college kids, or those taking vocational courses. Tulfo also explained how the payouts would be distributed, and did not mention any online link, contrary to the misleading Facebook post.

ALSO ON RAPPLER

• WATCH: Who gave Marcos a standing ovation over POGO ban announcement?
• When CIDG cops raided Bamban POGO, they were ‘fired’ from posts
• Duterte’s drug war killings: Cases closed, no action
• LIST: Modern jeepney models and what to expect
• Why Manila ended up 5th riskiest city for tourists out of 60 int’l cities

Phishing attempt: The link provided in the Facebook post redirects to a blog website, not the official DSWD website. Those who click on it and provide their personal information and sensitive documents may be at risk of identity theft. (READ: Phishing 101: How to spot and avoid phishing)

AICS Program: AICS is a social welfare service that offers medical aid, burial support, transportation assistance, educational support, and other aid to individuals and families in need.

The amount of assistance granted varies based on an assessment by social workers. To apply for cash assistance or other forms of aid, individuals must submit the required documents to their nearest DSWD office. The AICS website does not offer any link to an online application form.

Fake pages: Rappler has fact-checked several posts from pages and websites posing as the DSWD: 

• FACT CHECK: Online DSWD page linking to aid form for education is fake
• FACT CHECK: DSWD has no program offering ‘immediate’ cash aid
• FACT CHECK: DSWD has no scholarship program with P6,500 cash allowance

Official news: For official updates, refer to 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.