The Department of Education (DepEd) on Wednesday, May 8, clarified that it is not giving out “cash aid” especially for graduating students.

“It's unfortunate that there are still individuals or groups of individuals who are taking advantage of our schools, particularly in posting fake advisories claiming cash assistance from DepEd for graduates,” DepEd Assistant Secretary and Deputy Spokesperson Francis Cesar Bringas said in a televised interview.
Bringas was referring to posts circulating online about “cash aid” for graduating students and even using pictures of Vice President and DepEd Secretary Sara Duterte and the logo of the agency. “Definitely, that is not true,” he added.
Some posts making rounds online include the advisories claiming allowances for school learners.
“Wala po tayong programa na nagbibigay ng cash allowance or assistance for public schools and even private school learners (We do not have a program that provides cash allowance or assistance for public schools and even private school learners),” he said.
READ:
https://mb.com.ph/2024/5/5/dep-ed-warns-public-against-fake-cash-assistance-program
Bringas explained that neither DepEd nor the national government has such a program. The educational assistance for learners, he said, is only covered by the Government Assistance to Students and Teachers in Private Education (GASTPE) which includes the Senior High School Voucher Program (SHS VP) for Senior High School and the Education Service Contracting (ESC) for Junior High School students.
“Iyan lang ang nakapaloob na programa for DepEd (Those are the only programs under DepEd),” he said.
Verify, report
Bringas said the DepEd Central Office is currently coordinating with appropriate government agencies to identify those behind these false advertisements that “tarnish the image” of the agency.
“We are looking at it as a scheme to take advantage of people who may not be fully aware of the programs of the department,” Bringas explained.
To avoid being scammed, Bringas urged the public --- especially those who encountered these schemes --- to “verify the information” on DepEd’s official website and report any related incident to the nearest DepEd office.
RELATED STORY:
https://mb.com.ph/2024/4/22/dep-ed-warns-public-vs-fake-scholarship-posts-online