VERA Files

VERA Files is a nonstock, nonprofit, independent media organization. Founded in March 2008, it is published by veteran Filipino journalists taking a deeper look into current Philippine issues. Vera is Latin for “true.”

Institutions

VERA FILES FACT CHECK: Several FB posts spread FAKE PNB scholarship program

A viral graphic shared across Facebook groups claims that the Philippine National Bank (PNB) is offering a scholarship grant for the next school year. This is fake. The posts are scams that steal personal information from netizens. The bogus post which emerged

March 8, 2024

Institutions

VERA FILES FACT CHECK: Australia DID NOT say it will attack China

Australia supposedly declaring it will attack China is making the rounds via YouTube video. The footage also claims President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. is encouraging other countries to do the same. Both claims are false. Neither the Australian government nor Marcos made such

March 7, 2024

Institutions

VERA FILES FACT CHECK: Duterte binabawi ang panawagan para sa paghiwalay ng Mindanao sa PH

Matapos ang paulit-ulit na panawagan para sa Mindanao secession sa nakalipas na buwan, sinabi ngayon ni dating pangulong Rodrigo Duterte na hindi niya itutuloy ang plano. Aniya, “joke” at taktika lamang ito para “takutin” at bigyang pansin ang kalagayan ng katimugang isla,

March 7, 2024

Institutions

VERA FILES FACT CHECK: Circulating posts on ‘Cavite jailbreak’ are FALSE

Several text messages shared via Facebook and private messaging platforms claim that at least 10 inmates have bolted prison in Bacoor, Cavite. These are not true. The posts have been circulating as early as Feb. 27. The common narrative is that persons

March 7, 2024

Institutions

VERA FILES FACT CHECK: FAKE ‘DOLE scholarship 2024’ online applications circulate

Online registrations for the Department of Labor and Employment’s (DOLE) supposed scholarship program this year are being shared on Facebook (FB). These are fake and from publishers not affiliated with the agency. Uploaded as early as Feb. 10, the posts carry different

March 6, 2024

Institutions

VERA FILES FACT CHECK: Funding for Bicol Express Railway Project NOT yet finalized

A post about the Philippine National Railways’ (PNR) Bicol Express rail line “finally making a comeback” is circulating on Facebook (FB). This needs context. Shared as early as Feb. 23, the posts on the railway’s revival carried by different FB pages used

March 6, 2024

Institutions

VERA FILES FACT CHECK: ‘Solar superstorm’ DID NOT cause communication shutdown in Australia

A video posted on Facebook (FB) and YouTube is claiming that a solar superstorm shut down Australia’s communication systems. This is misleading. While a solar storm did occur on Feb. 6, it only caused radio interruptions in Australia but not a total

March 6, 2024

Institutions

VERA FILES FACT CHECK: Filipina vlogger spreads FALSE claims about blood, lab-grown meat

A three-hour video containing erroneous statements on human blood and lab-grown meat was posted by a Filipina vlogger on Facebook. The lengthy video posted on Feb. 23 claimed that: The blood of individuals vaccinated against COVID-19 is darker compared to that of

March 5, 2024

Institutions

Ardor undiminished: Remembering Edgar Talusan Fernandez (1955-2024)

Images courtesy of Ateneo Art Gallery, National Gallery of Singapore, National Commission for Culture and the Arts, and National Museum of the Philippines. Lockdown Reflection, 2020. Instagram of Egai Fernandez Egai Fernandez, one of the leading figures of Social Realism in the

March 5, 2024

Institutions

Navigating the Bohol Sea – VERA Files

For two days in late December, a group of student and professional writers from Jagna, Guindulman and Anda in Bohol sat down with two fishermen who shared with them their current plight amid dwindling catch due largely to commercial fishing and the

March 5, 2024