FACT CHECK: Link for DSWD educational aid registration is fake

Claim: The Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) is offering educational cash assistance to students signing up through an online link. 

Rating: FALSE

Why we fact-checked this: On June 22, the Facebook group “Landbank update all region 2024,” with 93,300 members, featured a post from the page “DSWD 4ps Update.” 

The post claims that the DSWD’s scholarship program will provide monthly cash allowances of P7,000 for elementary students, P8,000 for high school students, P9,000 for senior high school students, and P10,000 for college students. The program also offers free school supplies, uniform, cellphone, laptop, and a P7,000 monthly allowance for parents.

As of writing, the post has 114 reactions, 116 comments, and six shares. Interested applicants are instructed to register and submit required documents through an online link.

The facts: The supposed registration link is fake. In a March 2024 advisory, the DSWD clarified that it does not request personal information online from those seeking educational assistance because it is against the Data Privacy Act.

The fake link directs users to a blog site instead of the official DSWD website, potentially making it part of a phishing scam. The supposed registration form asks for users’ personal information, with some users also sharing their data in the comments section, exposing themselves to the risk of identity theft. (READ: Phishing 101: Identifying and Evading Phishing Attempts)

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Educational assistance: The DSWD does not offer scholarships, but it provides educational aid through its Assistance to Individuals in Crisis Situation program. 

The agency also runs the Tara, Basa! Tutoring Program in collaboration with the Department of Education, which offers college students a P500 daily stipend for 20 days to serve as tutors or youth development workers. Launched in August 2023, the program aims to support elementary students struggling with reading.

As of June 2024, about 3,881 tutors and youth development workers have been trained in effective teaching techniques, according to the DSWD.

Debunked: Rappler has previously debunked various versions of this claim, with different amounts of educational aid supposedly being offered by the social welfare department:

• FACT CHECK: DSWD does not have monthly allowance program for students
• FACT CHECK: Online DSWD page linking to aid form for education is fake
• DSWD does not distribute ‘educational assistance’ directly to schools
• FACT CHECK: DSWD has no scholarship program with P6,500 cash allowance
• FACT CHECK: Online DSWD form for education aid is fake

Official news: For official updates on DSWD programs and services, refer to its official website and social media accounts on Facebook, X (formerly Twitter), 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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