FACT CHECK: UPLIFT program does not offer P5,000 cash aid, rice subsidy to all Filipinos

The misleading post circulating online is one of several that promise cash aid to registered individuals. Contrary to the claim, only eligible sectors qualify for the cash assistance.

AT A GLANCE

• A claim circulating on social media falsely stated that all Filipinos can receive a sack of rice and P5,000 in cash assistance through the UPLIFT program.
• The UPLIFT program, managed by the Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD), provides cash aid only to specific eligible beneficiaries, not to all Filipinos.
• The Facebook page promoting this claim is not affiliated with the DSWD, and the links provided in the post are deemed malicious, posing a risk of phishing scams.

This is AI-generated. Read the article for full context. Report any errors.

Claim: All Filipinos, including those not included in the Pantawid Pamilyang Pilipino Program (4Ps), can receive a sack of rice and P5,000 in cash assistance upon registering for the Unified Package for Livelihoods, Industry, Food, and Transport (UPLIFT) program.

Rating: FALSE

Why we fact-checked this: A Facebook page named “Uplift News and Updates” published two videos of a female news anchor announcing a rice subsidy and cash aid for all Filipinos.

The two posts garnered a total of 4,200 likes, 1,800 comments, and 1,970 shares as of writing.

The supposed news anchor said, “Lahat ng Pilipino, kahit hindi 4Ps member, ay makakakuha ng isang sakong bigas at P5,000. Ang payout ay sa August 22, 2026. Ang registration ay makikita dito sa post namin at sa comment section.”

(All Filipinos, even non-4Ps members, will receive a sack of rice and P5,000. The payout is scheduled for August 22, 2026. Registration details can be found in this post and in the comment section.)

Viewers are then directed to links to register for the supposed payout.

The facts: Contrary to the claim, cash aid through the UPLIFT program is only given to eligible beneficiaries, not to all Filipinos.

The UPLIFT program, implemented by the Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD), is intended to protect vulnerable sectors from falling further into poverty due to the effects of the energy emergency caused by the Middle East conflict. It provides cash aid only to eligible predetermined beneficiaries. Filipinos do not need to register for the program, according to the social welfare department.

The DSWD began a fresh round of cash aid rollout on July 21, with beneficiaries classified into three groups:

• Group 1 – 3.5 million families enrolled in the DSWD’s 4Ps and the Walang Gutom Program
• Group 2 – 2.5 million households not enrolled in 4Ps, but classified as poor and near-poor based on the Community-Based Monitoring System of the Philippine Statistics Authority 
• Group 3 – 1.5 million low-income workers and their families who are eligible members of the Social Security System

Those under Group 1 will receive a one-time subsidy of P2,000, while beneficiaries under Groups 2 and 3 will receive P2,000 per month from July to December 2026.

Furthermore, the “Uplift News and Updates” page is not affiliated with the DSWD. The social welfare department has repeatedly reminded the public to be wary of potential scams and rely only on its official channels for legitimate updates.

AI-generated: AI detection tool SightEngine flagged a screenshot of the video as 99% likely to be AI-generated. HiveDetect said the whole video is 62.9% likely to be AI-generated.

Link scanner urlscan.io showed that the links in the caption direct users to a form that asks for their full name, age, sex, and address. It classified the links as malicious. Users who provide their information through these forms risk falling victim to phishing scams. (READ: Phishing 101: How to spot and avoid phishing)

Previous fact checks: Rappler has debunked similar fake government assistance videos claiming to provide cash aid and subsidies:

• FACT CHECK: DSWD not offering cash aid to senior citizens through Facebook 
• FACT CHECK: UPLIFT cash aid is for eligible beneficiaries, not all national ID holders 
• FACT CHECK: No free electricity, subsidies for national ID, vaccine card holders
• FACT CHECK: Post promising P29,000 cash aid from DSWD is fake
• FACT CHECK: No P25,000 aid payout in March 2026 for national ID holders

– Eirene Manatlao/Rappler.com

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.