The Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) is cautioning the public against misleading Facebook posts claiming a Christmas bonus for Pantawid Pamilyang Pilipino Program (4Ps) beneficiaries.

“These posts circulating online about a supposed Christmas bonus for 4Ps beneficiaries are not true,” said Assistant Secretary Irene Dumlao, DSWD spokesperson. “They could be scams designed to steal private information from our beneficiaries.”

Dumlao urged 4Ps members not to click on suspicious links or share the posts, stressing that doing so could cause public confusion and put private data at risk.

The warning comes as part of DSWD’s ongoing campaign, “Tamang Tulong sa Tamang Impormasyon (3TI),” aimed at protecting the public from misinformation about the agency’s programs and services.

“We want to remind everyone not to share your personal information on posts like these. Any official information from DSWD comes only from your municipal or city links, as well as the official 4Ps and DSWD social media pages,” Dumlao explained.

As DSWD’s data protection officer, Dumlao emphasized that beneficiary information is never posted publicly in accordance with the Data Privacy Act of 2012.

“We encourage everyone to stay vigilant against false information and never give out your private details on social media,” she added.

The DSWD also urged the public to report suspicious activity involving its programs through the Integrated Grievance Redress Management System at https://i-grs.dswd.gov.ph or via the official 4Ps Facebook page.

“If you see posts, announcements, or news about DSWD that do not come from official sources, please report them to us — or, for 4Ps beneficiaries, to your city or municipal links. Let’s work together to stop fake news that causes confusion,” Dumlao said.