BIZ BUZZ: Sorry, no free rice
With fake news flooding our feeds these days, a Facebook post about free rice distribution for all Filipinos could have offered relief amid anomalies linked to flood control projects — except that the state has no such plan.
“The public is hereby informed that the National Food Authority (NFA) is not mandated or has no program to distribute rice or rice subsidy through local barangays or any private institution, contrary to the FAKE NEWS circulating on SOCIAL MEDIA, particularly on the Edukasyon News Channel,” the grains agency said in an advisory.
The NFA issued this clarification after Edukasyon News Channel’s Facebook post had gone viral. Although it has been taken down, the NFA said it stirred confusion among netizens.
Still, the public is advised to remain vigilant, verify any social media posts and report anything suspicious to the NFA through its hotline or email addresses.
Here’s a piece of advice: If something sounds too good to be true, it’s probably a hoax.
