MANILA — The Department of Social Welfare and Development (Department of Social Welfare and Development) has warned the public against unauthorized Facebook pages and groups allegedly offering to expedite processing of Minors Travelling Abroad (MTA) travel clearances.

In an advisory, the DSWD said pages such as Blackbox Travel and Tourism, Flightdeck Junielen Taniola, and Blackboxph Travel Corporation are not affiliated with the agency and are not authorized to process or facilitate any of its services.

The department said the pages were reportedly offering to streamline processing for flights, visas, tours, and travel clearances. It also noted that some related online groups have reached up to 2,200 members, raising concerns over the spread of unverified information.

DSWD spokesperson Assistant Secretary Irene Dumlao condemned the unauthorized platforms.

“Mariin pong kinokondena ng DSWD ang mga FB pages at mga grupong nagpapanggap na konektado sa ating programa at nangangakong pabibilisin ang proseso ng pag-avail sa ating mga serbisyo (The DSWD strongly condemn the FB pages and groups that pretend to be connected with our program and promise to facilitate the process of availing our services),” Dumlao said.

“Ang anumang impormasyon o mensaheng galing sa grupong ito ay hindi beripikado at maaaring hindi tugma sa alituntunin ng MTA (Any information or message from these groups is not verified and may not conform with MTA policies),” she added.

Dumlao also reminded the public that engaging with fixers is prohibited and may lead to delays or invalid applications.

“Hindi po pinahihintulutan ang paggamit ng fixer sa anumang transaksyon sa DSWD. Hinihikayat po natin ang lahat na dumaan lamang po sa opisyal at tamang proseso upang masiguro ang maayos, ligtas, at lehitimong pagkuha ng travel clearance para po sa ating mga kasamang menor de edad (Fixers are not allowed in any transaction with the DSWD. We encourage the public to go through the official and proper process to ensure the orderly, safe and legitimate acquisition of travel clearance for minors),” she said.

The agency said the MTA program has already streamlined its services through an online application system, allowing faster processing for applicants who submit complete requirements.

As of April 20, a total of 12,721 applications have been approved in 2026, including 12,685 travel clearances and 36 certificates of exemption processed through the online system.

Applicants are advised to file their requests at least 30 days before their scheduled travel to avoid delays.

The DSWD urged the public to coordinate only through official MTA channels, including its hotline, mobile numbers, email grievance address, and online support platform.