Senator Riza Hontiveros, who is on a visit to Cebu, criticized the “food poor” threshold of P64 per person per day, saying it was an insult and saddening.

“The P64 per day food threshold computed by the National Economic and Development Authority (NEDA) is both insulting to the citizens and disheartening,” Hontiveros stressed.

Socioeconomic Planning Secretary Arsenio Balisacan said during the Development Budget Coordination Committee briefing at the Senate last week that the food poverty threshold was P64 per person per day.

Hontiveros expressed disbelief over the low threshold, insisting that this was unrealistic.

“Of course, the figure is an insult to many and, most of all, it is disheartening. If that is our ambition as a nation then we’re heading nowhere,” she said

She called for more realistic data on the minimum amount that a Filipino needs to eat regularly.

Balisacan said for a family of five, the monthly food threshold is P9,581, which breaks down to P64 per member per day.

The food threshold refers to the minimum income required for a family or individual to meet their basic food needs which satisfies the nutritional requirements for economically necessary and socially desirable physical activities.