DTI under fire over 'insulting' P500 Noche Buena remarks

The Department of Trade and Industry came under fire for insisting that P500 is enough to cover the cost of a simple Noche Buena for a family of four, with minority lawmakers slamming the agency for being out of touch amid skyrocketing commodity prices. 

Akbayan Rep. Perci Cendaña and Bicol Saro Rep. Terry Ridon on Friday argued that the DTI has been insisting on this as early as 2022, despite knowing full well that it is unrealistically unattainable due to inflation that drives up the prices of goods and services.

Cendaña said a P500 for a Noche Buena would only be possible “if you travel back in time,” when prices of goods and commodities were drastically lower. He lamented that this is an “insulting gimmick,” as if the DTI thinks that Filipino families are in “OMAD” or one meal a day. 

Earlier this week, DTI Secretary Cristina Roque said P500 can buy a ham, spaghetti, and macaroni salad. She, however, said this is only applicable to a family of four, not to large groups. 

Ridon, meanwhile, countered that the DTI’s pronouncement “ignores the reality of soaring food prices,” asserting that “even a simple spaghetti and cheese is not sufficient for a mere P500.” 

ACT Teachers Rep. Antonio Tinio concurred with his colleagues in the minority that the DTI is “tone-deaf, insisting that the government must double down on its effort to ensure prices of holiday goods remain affordable to the general public. 

He stressed that the DTI’s repeated insistence that P500 is already enough for a Noche Buena is "insulting,” “infuriating,” and a “deliberate attempt to normalize poverty and gaslight the Filipino people into accepting deprivation while the corrupt elite feast on public funds.”

Kamanggagawa Rep. Eli San Fernando, meanwhile, argued that Roque’s statement only indicates a “dangerous disconnect” between the government and the realities of Filipino families struggling with rising prices.

He dared Roque to go to the market and see for herself what Noche Buena goods could buy for P500.

Aside from lawmakers, Roque also drew sharp criticism from the public, calling her P500 estimate unrealistic and an insult to financially challenged families. 

DTI’s price guide showed that of 256 Noche Buena items, only 95 had a slight price increase, while 129 retained the same prices as last year. Prices of ham and queso de bola have reportedly dropped this year.