28/11/2025
₱500 budget for Noche Buena? I call BS.
Buying food sa Karinderia palang for one person is almost 20% of it.
Now, imagine when having to prepare MULTIPLE dishes for Noche Buena, ₱500 would barely be enough to prepare for a single Noche Buena dish to serve multiple people.
With the increase in food market prices, even ₱500 worth of groceries would only last you for 2 days at max; mauubos agad when having to cater to a family.
As a Dietitian, this not only upsets me but also insults me as a Filipino.
Pero let’s take it the other way around,
If the Government wants us to honor their supposed ₱500 budget, they have to adjust for us;
1. Making healthier food products cheaper and more accessible
2. Passing policies catering to better food and nutrition security
3. Aligning budget and salary with the current inflation and market trends.
4. Financial aid to those who need it more, and especially those who are not earning well AND don’t have proper access to safe and nutritious foods, atbp;
Noche Buena is a celebration that is embedded in our culture where the food we serve is one of the main parts.
It’s insulting, to say the least, to Filipinos that a day of celebration with loved ones during the festive season will turn to stress and uncertainty.
And to reiterate, NUTRITION IS AND WILL ALWAYS BE POLITICAL!!
Whatever circumstances we face in society, our food and nutrition status will have direct AND indrect effects.
We deserve better and deserve to celebrate with joy, love, and good food; and we deserve better governance.
