Malaca±ang: Local government units (LGUs) have been cautioned by Malaca±ang against scammers exploiting the Office of the President's assistance programs. Officials emphasize that beneficiaries of these programs are never required to pay fees or provide unauthorized information to access government funds.

According to Philippines News Agency, Palace Press Officer Claire Castro delivered this warning following reports of fraudulent individuals approaching LGUs about the Local Government Support Fund (LGSF) and the Socio-Civic Projects Fund (SCPF). Castro said during a Palace briefing, "Mag-ingat sa scam at disinformation tungkol sa LGSF at SCPF ng Office of the President (Beware of scams and disinformation involving the Local Government Support Fund and the Socio-Civic Projects Fund of the Office of the President)."

Castro reiterated, "Hinding-hindi maniningil ng kabayaran o anuman ang gobyerno sa mga LGU beneficiaries upang makuha ang kanilang budget (The government will never ask LGU beneficiaries to pay any fee or charge to access their budget)." She urged local officials to verify the identities of individuals seeking information about the programs.

She cautioned that unauthorized collection of sensitive information could lead to the diversion of benefits intended for legitimate recipients. Castro advised LGUs to report any suspicious activities to the Office of the President immediately.

The LGSF is designed to finance priority programs and projects of local governments, while the SCPF supports community development and assistance initiatives. A recent government tally indicated that 1,276 LGUs nationwide have received financial assistance for the rice program. Meanwhile, the SCPF has reached 37,048 barangays, covering about 82 percent of the country's approximately 42,000 villages, with total releases amounting to PHP7.41 billion.