Fake news victimizing senior citizens have become so widespread as three government agencies have aired serious concern over its spread.

The Department of Social Welfare and Development, National Commission of Senior Citizens and the Philippine Statistics Authority have identified the alleged impending distribution monthly allowance under the Universal Social Pension Program as false and without basis.

The three agencies said there remains no law providing for the grant of social pension for all senior citizens, under the proposed Universal Social Pension bill.

The said legislative proposal grants a PhP500 monthly pension to all senior citizens regardless of their social status.

A number of lawmakers, among them United Seniors Rep. Milagros Aquino-Magsaysay and Senior Citizens Partylist Rep. Rodolfo Ordanes, have refiled their USP proposal and expect the Lower House leadership to prioritize its approval.

In separate news releases and social media statements, the DSWD, PSA and NCSC urged senior citizens to be alert against fake news which are being widely disseminated in social media.

The PSC, through its Regional Statistical Services Office XII, warned that fake news being spread in social mdia sites have claimed that seniors who are holders of national IDs will be recipients of “ayuda or cash assistance.”

“The PSA emphasizes that any ayuda or cash assistance for senior citizens are not granted by PSA. Thus, the registration on National ID may be a requirement of the concerned agency for their beneficiaries’ especially senior citizens,” the PSARSSO XIII warning said.

Last week, the DSWD told senior citizens not to confuse the USP to the law implementing the the Social Pension for Indigent Senior Citizens Program or SocPen.

Unlike the USP, the SocPen has already been enacted into law as Republic Acxt 11916.

Currently being implemented by the DSWD, RA 11916 grants qualified indigent senior citizens a monthly social pension of PhP1,000.

Early this week, the NCSC also released a statement expressing its concern over the spread of fake news involving the alleged implementation of the USP.