FACT-CHECK: Universal Social Pension not yet a law

CLAIM: The Universal Social Pension for senior citizens was passed into law in early 2026.

RATING: FALSE

A Facebook post falsely claimed that the proposed Universal Social Pension Bill for senior citizens was signed into law in early 2026.

Flagged content: A graphic posted on Facebook on Feb. 18, 2026 featured a collage of President Ferdinand “Bongbong” Marcos Jr. hugging a senior citizen, another senior citizen with a Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) worker, and manipulated images of the president with seniors cheering, cash in hand.

At the bottom of the graphic is a text that reads “SENIOR 60+ MAY PERA NA!” (Seniors [aged] 60+ will have money!).
The original photo of Marcos hugging a senior citizen was from a February 2025 Facebook post by the Philippine Information Agency (PIA), about the “Inaugural Cash Gift Distribution for Filipino senior citizens who reached the milestone age of 80, 85, 90, and 95.”
The image of a senior citizen consulting with a DSWD worker was taken from a post on the PIA Caraga website uploaded in January 2024, when senior citizens there received pensions.
The graphic also contains photos with traces of AI manipulation, featuring exaggerated faces. Analysis from AI detection tools Undetectable.AI and ZeroGPT both found a 97% likelihood of AI manipulation.

Our debunk: As of writing, the Universal Social Pension is still listed as a bill on the Senate website.

The bill was filed on Sept. 24, 2025, and only had its first reading on Sept. 30. Its status remains pending at the committee level.
On Dec.10, 2025, the National Commission of Senior Citizens expressed its support for the passage of the bill into law.

Rewind: The Universal Social Pension Bill seeks to expand the number of recipients of social pension.

Under Republic Act No. 9944, only indigent senior citizens are eligible to receive a P500 monthly stipend from DSWD.
The proposed bill includes all senior citizens as beneficiaries of the social pension.

Why we fact-checked this: The post has been shared 251 times and has received 1,700 reactions and 1,300 comments on Facebook.

Tatak Trending Ph, the page that posted the graphic, has 15,000 followers.
The post has the potential to give senior citizens false hope of aid.

Spot the fake: Check the official website or social media platforms of DSWD or local social welfare and development units to know updates on the proposed bill.

Visit the websites of the Senate and the House of Representatives to find out the status of any legislative measure.
Bills of this nature typically generate considerable coverage from legitimate news agencies. Look for reports from credible news outlets. Vanya Barachita

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