Filipinos slam official’s US$8.50 advice for Christmas feast
Critics call the Philippine trade chief’s 500-peso Noche Buena price guide for a family of four a ‘fantasy’ that insults the poor
But this year, soaring prices have forced her family of five to stretch an already meagre budget to afford even a modest holiday meal.
Dhoctor and her husband, a construction worker, earn a combined daily wage of just over 1,000 pesos (US$17). Since construction work is irregular, the household often relies on her 500-peso income. The couple have three children, two of whom are in university.
“Our children go to school daily and need allowance … how far can 500 pesos take us?” she told This Week in Asia.
As many Filipinos like Dhoctor and her family struggle with the rising cost of living, a recent comment by Trade Secretary Cristina Aldeguer-Roque about the traditional Christmas Eve feast has struck a raw nerve in the country for being tone deaf.
During a radio interview on November 27, Roque said a budget of 500 pesos was enough for a family of four to host a “basic” Noche Buena dinner.