Unpopular Opinion: DTI Secretary Cristina's PHP 500.00 Noche Buena Remark May be an Overdue Christmas Eye Opener
Sonny Africa, executive director of economic watchdog Ibon Foundation, believes that even the agency knows it’s not realistic.“I think they are saying that on air even though they know it’s not true, to really cover up the worsening situation,” he said in a phone interview with the Inquirer on Friday.For labor group Kilusang Mayo Uno, Aldeguer-Roque’s statement was an “insult” to Filipino workers who “are forced to tighten their belts to make ends meet” while the corrupt “are reveling in the people’s stolen taxes.”Following criticisms from various quarters, Aldeguer-Roque insisted on her claim at a press conference on Friday.“It’s really possible for a family of four,” she said, arguing that her estimate was based on the DTI noche buena price guide released in November.Citing prices from the DTI guide, Aldeguer-Roque suggested three noche buena bundles that can be purchased for under or near P500 and can serve a family of four.One bundle costs P374.50, with Christmas ham (P170 for 500 g), spaghetti sauce (P48.50), spaghetti noodles (P30 for 250 g), fruit cocktail (P61.75 for 432g), all-purpose cream (P36.50 for 110 ml), and “pan de sal” (P27.75 for 10 pieces).
Sure, I find Mrs. Roque's arguments to be somewhat misleading. I was thinking about how not all Filipinos associate noche buena with ham, spaghetti, fruit salad, or a table full of fattening food. Some Filipinos have learned to avoid the extravagant noche buena, one way or another. I feel Mrs. Roque could've said, "With PHP 500.00, you can buy some liempo, puso (hanging rice), some fruits, and use whatever's available." I was laughing at Mrs. Roque's arguments of the bundle not because of its size, but because of what I perceived to be nutritionally deficient. As a person who worked out almost daily to lose weight and who started eating more halal food to lose weight, I've grown to value nutrition as part of my daily regimen.
Back on the topic, I'd like to stress that I find the IBON Foundation to be biased and misleading. Kilusang Mayo Uno (May One Movement) and its demand for #SahodItaasPresyoIbaba economics ignores the fundamentals of basic accounting. I don't want to deny the corrupt reveling in people's stolen taxes. However, as long as groups like IBON and Kilusang Mayo Uno continue to oppose badly needed reforms, I refuse to take them seriously! After all, they support the Filipino First Policy, which makes me think that people who support it deserve to have a PHP 500.00 or even less, noche buena!
Mrs. Roque may be using deliberate sarcasm and hyperbole to capture the audience's attention. After all, the noche buena may be one's biggest holiday financial killer. One can only look at the typical noche buena table and be amazed at the display of high-fat food and how festive it can be. A noche buena can often be accompanied by, "Bahala walay kwarta basta naa'y banda." In English, that means, "I don't care if we don't have money, as long as we have a band." It was my experience growing up in Cebu City, where I had neighbors who'd even hire a band for the Noche Buena. One could see an entire lechon served in the noche buena. Sadly, more often than not, the same lechon that wasn't consumed is thrown into the garbage can, even if it could still be eaten.
I couldn't say that's truly in Mrs. Roque's mind. For now, she's probably deliberately firing such statements to the public. Perhaps, the Filipino public still thinks that a noche buena should be festive with all the fattening foods and the musical band. These statements are probably what a lot of Filipinos need to hear, given their poor management habits!