A video claiming that individuals registered with the Philippine Identification System (PhilSys) will receive cash assistance is fake. The Philippine Statistics Authority (PSA) has disowned such a program and has warned against it.
Uploaded on Facebook (FB) on Aug. 19, the 22-second video spliced audio clips of a news report that actually warns netizens of such scam modus. It bore a supposed UNTV News and Rescue report on the cash aid.
The clip featured an infographic bearing the PSA and PhilSys’ logos and a photo of PhilSys ambassador Matteo Guidicelli with text urging netizens to register and avail of the P3,000 cash assistance.
The video’s voice over claimed that PSA guarantees a cash aid of P5,000 to anyone who holds a national ID:
“May paalala sa publiko ang Philippine Statistics Authority na [garan]tiya ng ayuda ang pagkakaroon ng Philippine Identification System o PhilSys ID. Ito ang nilinaw ng PSA. Limang libong cash assistance ang sino mang mayroong national ID (The Philippine Statistics Authority reminds the public that having a Philippine Identification System or PhilSys ID guarantees an aid. This is what the PSA clarified. Five thousand cash assistance will be given to anyone with a national ID).”
This is fake. UNTV News and Rescue’s official YouTube and TikTok channel uploaded the original video on March 15. The report discussed a PSA advisory warning netizens about fake cash assistance for PhilSys ID holders.
On Aug. 9, the PSA again issued an advisory reiterating that they do not have such a program and alerting netizens about unauthorized individuals offering cash aid in exchange for their PhilSys IDs.
“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,” the PSA further clarified.
PhilSys did not post such an infographic either. The post imitated PSA’s publication materials featuring Guidicelli.
VERA Files debunked a similar scam targeting national ID holders back in March. (Read NO P5,000 cash aid for PhilSys ID holders)
The fake post circulated more than a month after the PSA and the Department of Information and Communications Technology launched the digital national ID which can be accessed online and stored in electronic devices.
This supposed Tiktok video of @philayuda uploaded by a Facebook user has garnered 6,500 reactions, 4,800 comments, 2,600 shares and 761,000 views.
