Videos posted on YouTube and Facebook (FB) claimed there was no media coverage of the April 19 groundbreaking ceremony for the St. Bernadette Children and Maternity Hospital in San Jose del Monte, Bulacan led by President Ferdinand “Bongbong” Marcos.
This is false. Media organizations such as ABS-CBN, Philippine Daily Inquirer, Manila Bulletin, the Manila Standard, and DZME AM Radio reported the event.
The stories stressed on Marcos’ push to create more specialty hospitals as well as public-private healthcare partnerships.
Though its groundbreaking was done only this year, the creation of the St. Bernadette Children and Maternity Hospital was approved in 2018 through Republic Act 11272 under then president Rodrigo Duterte.
YouTube channel PINAS NEWS INSIDER published the false video on April 22, which had an in-video text that read: “ITO ANG AYAW IPALABAS NG BAYARANG MEDIA (This is what paid media doesn’t want to show).”
FB page PINAS EYE posted its version on April 23, which used the same script as the YouTube channel. It bore the title: “NILABAS NA ANG MEGA HOSPITAL NI PBBM | DILAWAN MEDIA AYAW IPALABAS ANG MEGA PROJECTS (Mega hospital of PBBM now released | Yellow media won’t report on mega projects)?!”
The term “dilawan” (yellow) is a colloquial term used by critics to refer to members and supporters of the Liberal Party.
The video by FB page PINAS EYE (created on Jan. 13, 2021) got 26,799 interactions, while the video by YouTube channel PINAS NEWS INSIDER (created on Dec. 26, 2015) had 105,725 interactions.
Have you seen any dubious claims, photos, memes, or online posts that you want us to verify? Fill out this reader request form or send it to ‘VERA, the truth bot’ on Viber.
(Editor’s Note: VERA Files has partnered with Facebook to fight the spread of disinformation. Find out more about this partnership and our methodology.)
