Three YouTube channels posted a video claiming that a P6,500 universal social pension for senior citizens has been approved and released starting May 1. These are fake and the videos are AI-generated.
The first video, uploaded on April 29, is 14-minute video of a woman in a black shirt, supposedly doing a podcast, that bore the title:
“APPROVED NA: ₱6,500 Universal Pension May1st Release — Lahat ng Seniors May Makukuha!
(APPROVED: ₱6,500 Universal Pension. May 1st Release — All seniors will receive it!).”
The video talks about the approval and release of a new pension, including who qualifies, how distribution works, and what seniors need to do to receive their benefits.
Two other YouTube channels uploaded AI-generated videos, the first the day after, and the second on May 12. The same woman appears on the two videos, but wearing a different outfit and background. Their scripts were almost similar, unlike the April 29 video, but all tackled the P6,500 pension.
VERA Files Fact Check reached out to the House Committee on Senior Citizens and was told the pending measure on the proposed universal pension has not yet been approved in the Lower Chamber. All similar bills were consolidated into one proposal, which is now pending approval from the Committee on Appropriations because the measure requires government funding.
The consolidated bill will only be assigned a number and sent to plenary for final reading once it clears the appropriations committee.
Once enacted into law, the maximum monthly pension to be received by senior citizens is P1,000. Those turning 60 will start with a P500 pension, with an annual increase of P250 until the amount equals P1,000 after two years like the rest of the senior population.
There are social media posts saying that the P6,500 figure is the possible total of cash assistance and pension from all sources (government agencies, local government units) that qualified elderly may receive.
VERA Files also noted visual clues that show the videos are AI-generated:
- The speaker in the first video is a foreigner and several visual clips flashed in certain parts of the video feature elderly Caucasians;
- The movements of the speaker’s lips are unnatural, and do not match the words being said;
- The woman in the first video mispronounced the words “pension” and “uno” while the woman in the second video mispronounced “DSWD,” and the third speaker mispronounced “kinatawan.”
- The woman in the second and third video looks identical, but wearing a different outfit.
To verify the authenticity of the footage and photos used, VERA Files tapped the Deepfake Analysis Unit of the India-based Trusted Information Alliance, which ran the first video through AI detection tools.
DAU results from ImageWhisperer and Sightengine were unable to determine if the video was AI-generated or a deepfake.
However, analysis from Evenlabs, Aurigin AI, and Hiya Audio Intelligence showed the audio was AI-generated.
Results from Hive Moderation, WasItAI, and AIorNot also indicated that the video is generated by AI.
Beyond the tools, the DAU also analyzed the videos manually, noting that the woman’s teeth appear “strangely out-of-focus,” resulting in these not looking distinct and appearing to be just a white patch. It said this kind of smoothness is unnatural. At the same time, the woman’s teeth disappear completely In some parts of the video.
VERA Files also ran the two other videos through the same AI detection tools used by the DAU. Results from Hive AI-Generated & Deepfake Content Detection showed that the audio of the videos are likely to have AI-generated speech, while WasItAI flagged the videos as AI-generated.
Earlier this year, the National Commission of Senior Citizens launched the “Isang Milyong Lagda para sa Matatanda” campaign to call for the expeditious passing of the long-delayed Universal Pension Bill.
The erroneous videos surfaced after Philippine inflation hit 7.2 percent in April 2026, leaving many senior citizens vulnerable to a pension hoax. This economic strain coincided with the DSWD’s announcement designating the PhilSys National ID as the primary identification for Social Pension beneficiaries starting April 1.
The fabricated video, posted by YouTube Channels Mga Benepisyo ng SSS, SSS Updates HUB, and SSS GSIS NEWS has collectively garnered a total of 4,018 views; 31 comments; and 125 likes.
