Will the peso get any weaker?

If it were a medical condition, the prognosis would be–very dim. Nearly hopeless. The most grim being that it would be P100 for every US dollar!!! So what will the very weak peso buy? Not much, specially if yours is a big family. For P88 you can get a kilo of chicken, spring size; P98 for the bigger one (about 1.2 kilos). Since when did chicken have prices linked to size?

For P120, a medium-size tinapa. The bigger ones (more than a kilo) cost P220 each, even at a trade fair. We count ourselves among the luckier ones, because our tinapa vendor at the BF (Parañaque) wet market still gives it to us for P50 per medium piece. Hopefully he does not join everyone else taking advantage of the weakening peso. For P30, six pieces of small pan de monay from Ilustrado at Ayala Town Center. At Tropical Hut, P2.50 will get you one piece. For P190, a pack of cod fish balls with taro and potatoes. Fry them or for more volume, make into soup.

The biggest shock is meat. We probably need to lessen consumption; after all, some cuts are cholesterol-rich. But what about growing boys and working men who need more protein to endure a day’s study and/or labor? At Unimart where Batangas meat is offered, we turned around very quickly. Our meat dishes can wait. M. C. Bunye sells sirloin at P280 a kilo, tenderloin at P750 and kenchi at P275. At Tenderbites (they have quality meat), tenderloin is tagged at P979/kilo, sirloin at P390, brisket at P209, sukiyaki beef at P349, pork at P225 and tenderchops (you can order half a crown for roasting) at P285. In the days to come, we will check the prices in the wet markets and in Tagaytay, at Mahogany.

Shrimps are just as bad. You can not get prawns at less than P560 a kilo, almost like P50 a piece. Even the pang-gisa (normally already headless) commands quite a price. Squid was expensive even before the peso fell, at between P140 and P160 a kilo. We need to look at vegetables as well. We note an abundance of big salad tomatoes, firm and vibrant red, from P80 to P100 a kilo, perfect for making putanesca and other tomato-based sauces. Likewise we see a lot of capsicum (bell peppers) at between P90 and P100 a kilo. Go to the weekend markets for mangoes if you are not prepared to pay more than P100 a kilo. At Pelikan, the Guimaras harvest is tagged at P80 a kilo while the Pangasinan variety is selling at between P60 and P70 a kilo. Bananas start at P25 a kilo.

At Unimart in Greenhills we found Doña Elena anchovies at P54 -plus a tin.We use this to enhance the flavor of our capsicum salad. Here too we discovered a new brand of ice cream, Big Scoop, made by Cool Spot in San Juan with a variety of flavors to choose from (P143 for half a gallon) including fat free at P155.At the check out counter you can pick up a pack of powdered saffron at more than P70 per.

Now, if you have no worries about the weakening peso and are a chocolate afficionado, you probably know about the kiosks in the second level of the Poduim in Ortigas, where Burgoo and Banana Leaf are. Incidentally the Seafood Salad at the former is truly a value-for-money meal. There are three famous brands of chocolates/gourmet products sold here: Leonidas from Belguim and Heriad and Fauchon from Paris, all of them fly in their goodies. Pick your pleasure–pralines etc. in Executive Boxes at P795 for 8 pieces (P2000 for 12), assorted fudges at P1000 for 250 gms (27 pieces), 200 gms nougats for P2000, bottled jams at P390 (70 gms), a trio of paté including goose liver for P3,600 and the most precious of all, foie gras (180 gms) at P6450, extra virgin olive oil at P1000 and champagne at P4950. After looking at those prices, we decided to have a lovely dessert of Triple Treat Mousse and espresso coffee at Goodies & Sweets on the street level for less than P200.

Of course there is Max Brenner at Greenbelt 4. But that is another story.