Pangilinan hails revamp of food poor threshold

Senator Francis "Kiko" Pangilinan on Tuesday night hailed the planned overhaul of the food poverty threshold in 2026, which is currently set at P64 per day or roughly P21 per meal.

From P11,000, the Department of Economy, Planning, and Development (DEPDev) will raise the food-poor threshold from P13,873.

"Because honestly, it's fake news that P21 per meal is enough for a family with two parents and three children. That's not enough," Pangilinan stressed.

"A simple cup of noodle soup costs about P45, and the smallest cup is P25. If you add the cost of water, fuel, and other food ingredients, that P21 is a disgrace," he added.

During a Senate Finance Committee briefing on Monday, DEPDev Secretary Arsenio Balisacan admitted that P64 was outdated and committed to revising it.

The Philippine Statistics Authority also called it "insufficient" and not reflective of actual food spending.

Balisacan said the revised threshold will consider factors such as age, sex, and size, which affect nutritional requirements.

"Even if the increase is small, at least there is some recognition that old data is outdated," Pangilinan noted.

"This update is important because government programs like 4Ps rely on this kind of data to determine who gets support. If the threshold is too low, some families will not be included in the program," he added.

Pangilinan also pushed for the decrease of the price of basic goods so the common Filipinos "can truly provide nutritious food for growing children and struggling parents."