Claim: Various areas in the Philippines will be under lockdown from October 19 to 25, 2025, due to rising cases of influenza-like illnesses.

Rating: FALSE

Why we fact-checked this: The Facebook page “DSWD Television,” which has 985,000 followers, made numerous posts about a supposed lockdown to be implemented in various parts of the Philippines. The posts have garnered more than 13,000 reactions, 5,000 comments, and 43,000 shares as of the time of writing.

The posts list cities in Metro Manila and various provinces, with a header that says, “Under lockdown dahil sa pagtaas ng kaso ng influenza virus (Under lockdown due to rising cases of influenza virus).”

The posts also include alleged links to a full list of affected areas in Luzon, Visayas, and Mindanao.

The facts: The Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) flagged the posts from the “DSWD Television” page as fake, and there are no lockdown announcements, contrary to the claim.

“Walang direktiba ang ahensya tungkol sa lockdown sa mga nasabing lugar. Ang naturang page ay hindi konektado o awtorisado ng kagawaran at naglalaman ng maling impormasyon,” the DSWD added.

(The agency has no directive regarding lockdowns in the said areas. The page is not connected or authorized by the Department and contains false information.)

The DSWD post was also reshared by the official pages of several local government units.

No lockdown, no outbreak: Similarly, the Department of Health (DOH) said on October 17 that there are no plans to impose lockdowns in any part of the country amid the spread of influenza-like illnesses.

The health department reiterated that there is no flu outbreak, explaining that the rising cases were due to the country’s transition to colder “ber” months.

“What we have is the seasonal respiratory illnesses. It’s not a flu outbreak. We do not have a flu outbreak,” DOH Secretary Ted Herbosa said.

The DOH also reminded the public to observe precautionary health measures against all types of respiratory infections. Children, the elderly, and those most at risk of infection are advised to wear face masks.

Dubious link: URL scanners also showed that the links included in the misleading posts redirect to an unofficial blog site with another set of links, leading to forms that ask for personal information and which may expose users to phishing risks. (READ: Phishing 101: How to spot and avoid phishing)

Class suspensions: False posts on alleged lockdowns began circulating on social media after the Department of Education suspended face-to-face classes in all levels in Metro Manila public schools on October 13 and 14, citing the rise of flu-like illnesses and the recent earthquakes in parts of the country.

Rappler has debunked similar false posts, including an AI-generated video from the same page that falsely claimed the government is now imposing lockdowns and the mandatory use of face masks due to rising flu cases. – Eirene Manatlao/Rappler.com

Eirene Manatlao is a journalism graduate of the Polytechnic University of the Philippines. An Aries Rufo Journalism Fellow of Rappler for 2025, she was also the associate feature editor of The Catalyst.

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