P500 Noche Buena? Lawmakers, sectoral groups call it 'out of touch'
MANILA, Philippines — Christmas is one of the most anticipated celebrations for Filipino families — a time to gather, play games and feast. The Department of Trade and Industry (DTI) says P500 is enough to cover Noche Buena, the traditional Christmas Eve dinner.
But with inflation continuing to rise, is P500 really enough for one of the country’s biggest occasions? For many lawmakers and sectoral groups, calling it sufficient is an insult to the reality many families face.
“Sa anong planeta kasya yung P500 para sa Noche Buena ng pamilyang Pilipino? (In what planet is P500 enough for a Filipino family’s Noche Buena?)” Rep. Terry Ridon (Bicol Saro Party-list) said on Friday, November 28.
While the P500 benchmark is not a spending cap, Ridon said it doesn’t meet the reality of families trying to prepare a proper Christmas feast.
DTI Secretary Cristina Roque said in a radio interview that P500 can cover Christmas ham, spaghetti and macaroni salad, though costs will depend on family size and serving portions.
What can you really get with P500?
The cost of spaghetti could stay under P500 depending on the brands of pasta, sauce and cheese, as well as other essential ingredients like ground meat, hotdogs, onions, garlic and cream.
According to the DTI price guide, 1 kilogram of pasta can cost up to P116, tomato sauce up to P108.25 and a pack of cheddar cheese over P100. That already totals around P324, without accounting for the other ingredients.
With Christmas ham costing at least P170 for 500 grams and Keso de Bola P211.60, fitting a full holiday meal under P500 would mean skimping on portions and taste, potentially dampening family celebrations.
“Sa presyo ng bilihin ngayon, kahit simpleng spaghetti at keso, hindi na kasya sa P500 na sinasabi ng DTI Secretary — lalo na kung hindi lang isa ang kakain sa pamilya,” Ridon said.
(With today’s prices, even a simple spaghetti with cheese can’t fit within the P500 suggested by the DTI Secretary — especially if more than one person in the family will be eating.)
Gov't should try it themselves
Rep. Antonio Tinio (ACT Teachers Party-list) blasted the P500 Noche Buena budget as “a slap in the face to every working Filipino,” calling it outrageous and “tone-deaf” amid public outrage over corruption scandals.
“The DTI's statement is not just tone-deaf — it is a deliberate attempt to normalize poverty and gaslight the Filipino people into accepting deprivation while the corrupt elite feast on public funds,” he said in a statement.
Representing the youth, Kabataan Party-list also slammed the DTI’s recommendation of a simple Noche Buena, saying Filipinos won’t be fooled into thinking that a tight, bare-bones Christmas is a dignified one.
“This shouldn’t be the season of giving and forgiving. This is the season for justice,” the group said in a statement, urging the return of stolen funds and higher wages.
For local farmers, the Kilusang Magbubukid ng Pilipinas (KMP) argued that if officials truly believe P500 is sufficient, they should try cooking Noche Buena for their own families with the same limit — and find out if the meal is still worth celebrating.
“Kung talagang kaya ng DTI at ng First Family ang P500 Noche Buena, ipakita nila at sila ang unang gumawa (If the DTI and the First Family truly believe a Noche Buena can be done with P500, they should show it and be the first to do it),” KMP Chairperson Danilo Ramos said.
The farmers’ group said the DTI must be living “on another planet,” pointing out that officials seem out of touch with actual market prices. Many farming families, they added, can no longer afford to celebrate Christmas or New Year’s properly because of rising costs.
The DTI floated the P500 Noche Buena budget as early as 2022. Today, with higher market prices — regardless of how incremental — that figure is even less realistic.
How much does your family spend on Noche Buena?
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