The Philippine Rice Research Institute (PhilRice) and the RCEF Extension Program have recently been targeted in a deceptive marketing ploy involving the creation of fake accounts.
Since Aug. 2, two pages have surfaced online falsely representing these public institution and government program, promoting a product called “Super Seed Organic Fertilizer” and misleading the public. The fake pages falsely claim that Dr. Emil Q. Javier, a national scientist, endorsed the fertilizer as a groundbreaking product that would revolutionize agriculture and boost crop yields.
Dr. John C. de Leon, PhilRice executive director, issued a stern warning regarding these misleading accounts.
“It is disheartening to see the misuse of our institution’s name and credibility in a marketing scheme. We urge the public to exercise caution and verify information before trusting online sources. Our official channels are the only reliable sources for updates and advisories related to our programs and services,” de Leon said.
The public is advised to report the suspicious pages: bit.ly/fakePhilRice and bit.ly/reportfakeRCEF on Facebook.
PhilRice’s official account can be found at https://web.facebook.com/DAPhilRice and the RCEF Extension Program’s official account is at https://web.facebook.com/RCEFExt. These pages have reported the fake accounts to Facebook.
“Our pages are committed to supporting the agricultural community with
accurate, science-based information and services. We appreciate the continued
trust and support of the public and encourage everyone to be cautious of
misinformation,” de Leon added.
