FACT CHECK: UPLIFT aid is for eligible beneficiaries, not all Filipinos with valid IDs

Claim: Filipinos can receive P2,000 and a rice subsidy under the Unified Package for Livelihoods, Industry, Food, and Transport (UPLIFT) program by presenting any valid ID.

Rating: FALSE

Why we fact-checked this: The Facebook page “Uplift Ph Bulletin” posted two videos claiming that all Filipinos can receive P2,000 and a rice subsidy per month by registering through a form and presenting one valid ID.

The announcer in the video says, “Nakakuha na ba kayo ng tulong mula sa UPLIFT Program? Kung hindi pa, magdala lang ng isang valid ID; makakatanggap kayo ng P2,000 kada buwan. Ang registration link ay nasa post namin at mag-apply.”

(Have you received assistance from the UPLIFT Program yet? If not, simply bring a valid ID, and you can receive P2,000 per month. You can apply via the registration link in our post.)

The same claim can be found in the post’s caption, which further states that the UPLIFT program is for all Filipinos with a valid ID. 

Users are then encouraged to click the supposed registration links in the caption to apply, and to share the video 10 times and follow the page to expedite the process.

Including the page’s other videos with the same claim, the misleading videos garnered 120,000 views, 1,100 reactions, 377 comments, and 750 shares. Commenters have been sharing their location and asking how to apply.

The facts: Presenting a valid ID does not make one automatically eligible for the UPLIFT program, as beneficiaries are selected by the government.

The program, which 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, provides cash aid only to eligible predetermined individuals and families. Filipinos do not need to register for it.

According to the Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD), eligible beneficiaries are classified into three groups:

• Group 1 – 3.5 million families enrolled in the DSWD’s Pantawid Pamilyang Pilipino Program (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.

The DSWD has repeatedly warned the public to remain vigilant against potential scams and to rely only on official websites for updates.

The Philippine Statistics Authority also reminded the public that having a national ID does not automatically make one eligible for social protection program benefits. Eligibility depends on the rules and regulations of the concerned agency.

AI-generated: Multiple AI detection tools flagged the video as AI-generated. A HiveDetect scan showed that it is 97.4% likely to be AI. SightEngine gave it a score of 99%, while Undetectable AI said it is 67% AI-generated.

The links in the caption all direct to a blog post — not an official government website — showing a countdown of the fake registration period, according to URL scanner urlscan.io. 

The results showed that Google Safe Browsing tagged the three links as malicious. (READ: Phishing 101: How to spot and avoid phishing)

Previous fact checks: Rappler has previously debunked similar false claims using AI-generated videos to pose as government public service announcements:

• 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: No ban on cellphone use starting April 15; video is AI-generated
• FACT CHECK: No announcement of energy lockdown; video is AI-generated
• FACT CHECK: Fuel discount cards sold online are fake

– 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.