The Department of Education (DepEd) has debunked social media claims that it banned Christmas parties in schools. No official directive supports the assertion, according to the agency's statement. This comes amid ongoing efforts to combat misinformation.
On November 21, 2024, the Facebook page 'Nagkakaisang Pilipino' posted a pseudo-newscast video claiming that the Department of Education (DepEd) had banned Christmas parties across all school levels in the Philippines. The narrator stated, 'Paalala, ayon sa DepEd, tatanggalin na po ang Christmas party sa lahat ng antas ng paaralan sa buong Pilipinas. Ang mga dahilan ay makikita sa post namin.' As of writing, the video has garnered 498,000 views, 4,000 reactions, 218 comments, and 929 shares. The post's caption included links to purported articles for more details.
However, the claim is false. There is no directive, order, or memorandum from DepEd banning or removing Christmas parties. On November 23, the department issued a public advisory on its official Facebook page, stating, 'Fake news ang kumakalat na post tungkol sa umano’y pagtanggal ng Christmas party sa mga paaralan.' It also warned the public about similar false reports.
The video is AI-generated, featuring a 'Veo' watermark from Google's Veo text-to-video tool. Meanwhile, the links in the caption redirect to a blog site and an online form requesting sensitive information like names, phone numbers, and emails, posing phishing risks.
In November 2024, DepEd instructed schools and offices to scale down Christmas celebrations—not cancel them—to avoid lavish events and redirect potential expenses as donations to communities hit by six consecutive typhoons in Luzon. This aligns with President Ferdinand Marcos Jr.'s call for solidarity with affected Filipinos. Although the Philippines is under a one-year national state of calamity following Typhoon Tino's damage, no further directive this year orders scaling down or removing celebrations in government offices or schools.
This is among several debunked DepEd-related fakes by Rappler, including those on the K to 12 program and cash aids.