Advertisements posted on Facebook (FB) claim that President Ferdinand “Bongbong” Marcos and an agricultural scientist are promoting an organic fertilizer from Vietnam. These are fake.
Posted on July 25, at least five ads used various scam tactics to sell the fertilizer supposedly produced in Vietnam that promises an increase in rice productivity. All posts lead netizens to a website with the domain name japanese-shop.com. A VERA Files reader sent one of the posts for verification.
These are fake. The “Super Seed Organic Fertilizer Siêu Vô Hạt” is not on the Department of Agriculture’s (DA) Fertilizer and Pesticide Authority’s (FPA) list of registered products.
No ‘government subsidy’ for the product
Two posts claimed that the Marcos administration is “sponsoring” the product to make it more affordable for Filipino farmers. This is not true.
While the Philippines and Vietnam signed agreements on rice trade cooperation and agriculture, among others, during Marcos’ visit to Hanoi in late January this year, the administration is not providing any “subsidy” for the fertilizer.
One of the posts used and altered photos of Marcos from two events in July where he distributed financial assistance to farmers and fisherfolk.
Not endorsed by a Ramon Magsaysay Awardee
Another ad claimed that Ramon Magsaysay Awardee and agricultural scientist Romulo G. Davide “conducted a study” and endorsed the fertilizer.
The Farmer-Scientists Research Development Extension Training Program, based in the University of the Philippines Los Baños and launched by Davide, has released a statement clarifying that the scientist is not promoting any agricultural product.
In the fake ad, two photos of Davide from different occasions were altered, while another one was used in the wrong context.
From impostor FB pages
Two of the ads were circulated by FB pages imitating the Philippine Daily Inquirer and DA’s Rice Competitiveness Enhancement Fund (RCEF).
One of the posts copied PDI’s graphics featuring its mascot Guyato. The news organization’s official FB page did not publish any such advertisement.
RCEF’s official FB page did not post anything about the fertilizer either.
The fake ads circulated three days after the president’s SONA where he promised to continue extending financial assistance to the agriculture sector, including the rollout of fertilizers to farmers.
VERA Files Fact Check previously debunked a fake ad that used altered images of a doctor to sell an unregistered pesticide. (Read Doc Willie Ong NOT selling pesticide, ALTERED photos used)
One of the posts, uploaded by the FB page Pampataba para sa palay (created on July 22), garnered 207 reactions, 55 comments and 13,000 views. Other ads posted by the newly created FB pages Agrikultura ng Pilipinas (July 25), Philippines Daily Inquirer (July 25) and RCEF Seed Program (July 27) collectively garnered 765 reactions, 205 comments, and 11 shares.
