04/12/2025
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โฑ500 for a Noche Buena is insufficient, but is sufficient to serve as an insult to the Filipino Christmas. The Department of Trade and Industry (DTI) had recently recommended a โฑ500 budget for the Filipino Christmas Eve tradition, with its secretary in an interview expressing that households can already buy ingredients for the holiday dishes. Ingredients such as ham, macaroni salad, and spaghetti.
This could have been a sincere effort to help Filipino families stretch their budgets, however, it only exposes how out-of-reality our policymakers are and how poorly they think of the everyday Filipinos. The โฑ500 budget for a Noche Buena suggested by DTI also shows a lack of practicality from our government agencies and is as if they speak with no depth.
In January 2025, Philippine Statistics Authority (PSA) reported that "food and non-alcoholic beverages" had an inflation of 3.8% and contributed about 50% of the overall inflation for the month. With increasing food prices, expecting families to cover a holiday feast on โฑ500 is a misguided suggestion that shows a lack of understanding of Filipino households' real struggles.
Government agencies and officials need to rethink how they communicate or on their performance as "leaders". These officials must give significance to the people, and offer solutions or advice that truly touches with reality. The failure to meet that quality reflects the insignificance of public service is to them.
Ultimately, the โฑ500 Noche Buena is more than just a number. It illustrates the disconnection between those in power and the realities of everyday Filipino families. Officials must go beyond shallow solutions and tone-deaf statements. Only through empathy, and a clear understanding of economic pressures can they truly stick true to public service.
โ๏ธ | Chinhoj Rei Lobo
๐ผ๏ธ | Welshie Blythe Bulala
