FACT CHECK: Post offering cash, livelihood aid under Bong Go’s name is fake

The post claims to offer P29,000 in livelihood aid from Senator Bong Go, but its registration link redirects users to an unrelated website listing job vacancies A Facebook post falsely claims that people can receive P29,000 in livelihood assistance from Senator Bong Go by registering online. Senator Bong Go has warned the public against believing such posts and emphasized that he does not have an online registration system for cash assistance. The Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) has repeatedly warned the public against similar fraudulent cash assistance offers online that require personal information. This is AI-generated. Read the article for full context. Report any errors. Claim: People in need of livelihood assistance can receive P29,000 from Senator Bong Go by registering online. Rating: FALSE Why we fact checked this: An anonymous Facebook account posted the graphic in the “DSWD Cash Assistance Update PayOut” group on August 31. The group has 602,100 members as of writing. The graphic claims that people who have no source of livelihood can receive P29,000 from Senator Bong Go by registering online. The post uses Go’s name and photo alongside the logos of government agencies, including the Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD). It also includes supposed registration links for the alleged livelihood assistance program. The facts: The post is fake. There is no indication that the supposed P29,000 cash assistance advertised in the graphic is offered through an official government program. In a Facebook post on September 5, Go warned the public against social media posts offering livelihood or investment assistance in his name. “Huwag maniwala sa mga social media post na nangangako na magbibigay ng puhunan o pangkabuhayan na tulong sa pangalan ni Senator Bong Go. Walang Palista Program si Senator Bong Go,” the post read. (Do not believe social media posts that promise Senator Bong Go will give business capital or livelihood assistance. Senator Bong Go does not have such a program.) The senator also reminded the public not to provide their personal information through dubious links or social media posts. Fake link: The supposed registration link included in the post redirects users to a website containing local and international job listings. Clicking “Apply Now” on the website redirects users to a job search website. The job listings have no apparent connection to the P29,000 cash assistance promised in the Facebook post. This is not the first time Go’s name has been used in a false cash assistance offer. In May 2025, Go debunked a Facebook post bearing his photo and the Senate logo that falsely claimed he was offering P5,000 in cash assistance to people who messaged a Facebook page. He warned the public against clicking suspicious links that ask for personal information, saying these could expose users to potential scams. (READ: Phishing 101: How to spot and avoid phishing) Not offered by DSWD: The DSWD does not have a program that provides the P29,000 cash assistance advertised in the post, particularly one distributed through or associated with a specific politician. The department instead provides assistance through established programs such as the Assistance to Individuals in Crisis Situations (AICS), which offers financial and other forms of aid to qualified individuals based on their circumstances and after assessment by DSWD social workers. To apply for aid under AICS, applicants are required to submit a valid identification card and supporting documents appropriate to the type of assistance being requested to the nearest DSWD field office, Social Welfare and Development Office, or satellite office. The DSWD has also repeatedly warned the public about fraudulent social media posts and messages promising cash assistance. In February 2026, the agency warned against scammers offering supposed DSWD cash aid in exchange for personal information. The DSWD said these offers were not authorized by any of its offices. In April 2026, the agency again clarified that it does not ask for personal information through text messages or private social media messages in exchange for financial assistance. It also warned against posts asking people to pay a fee to receive cash aid, emphasizing that DSWD does not charge any amount to receive financial assistance. The agency has likewise clarified that applications for its programs are not processed through private social media accounts, personal messages, or unauthorized intermediaries, and that there is no “backer system” for obtaining or expediting assistance. – Mark David Silencio/Rappler.com Mark David Silencio is an Information Technology student at Bulacan State University in Plaridel, Bulacan. An Aries Rufo Journalism Fellow for 2026, he is also the managing editor for Administration of Pacesetter. 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. How does this make you feel? Loading