FACT CHECK: No P3,000 cash aid from PhilSys for national ID holders (2024)

Aug 13, 2024 2:55 PM PHT

Rappler.com

The Philippine Statistics Authority warns the public about unauthorized individuals offering cash to those who registered on the Philippine Identification System or hold national IDs

Claim: The Philippine Identification System (PhilSys) will provide P3,000 cash assistance to Filipinos who hold national IDs.

Rating: FALSE

It further claims that sharing the post will secure a slot for the supposed cash assistance.

The facts: The Philippine Statistics Authority (PSA), the implementing agency of PhilSys, issued an advisory on August 9 warning the public about fake cash assistance programs for national ID holders.

“[Being] registered or receiving the National ID does not make an individual eligible to receive any cash benefits from the government, and other social protection programs. Such benefits are granted based on the rules and regulations of the concerned agency,” PSA said.

The agency also warned the public about unauthorized persons offering cash in exchange for taking photos of registered individuals’ national IDs.

“The PSA reminds the public not to share their National ID unnecessarily and present it only to authorized personnel,” the advisory read.

The PSA urged registered individuals to be vigilant and avoid engaging with such schemes to avoid identity theft and fraud.

Potential scam: The link included in the Facebook post may be a phishing attempt, as it redirects users to a blog website rather than the official PhilSys or PSA websites. Those who click on it and attempt to register may be at risk of having their personal information stolen. (READ: Phishing 101: How to spot and avoid phishing)

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About PhilSys: The Philippine government launched PhilSys to serve as the centralized identification system for all Filipino citizens and resident aliens in the country. This system facilitates the issuance of a national ID, which serves as a valid proof of identity for various transactions.

To register, applicants must present the necessary documents at their nearest designated registration center.

On June 10, the PSA and the Department of Information and Communications Technology launched the digital version of the national ID to complement the physical ID, as well as the paper-printed ePhilID. (EXPLAINER: How Filipinos can get a digital national ID)

Fake pages: Rappler has fact-checked several posts from pages and websites posing as PhilySys or PSA and claiming to offer cash aid for national ID holders:

• FACT CHECK: No PhilSys program offering P5,000 aid for national ID holders
• FALSE: National ID owners get P10,000 aid after online registration

Official accounts: For official news and updates, refer to PhilSys’ official website, Facebook, and Twitter accounts before clicking, sharing, or engaging with posts on social media. – 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.