P500 noche buena don't exist

AVERAGE COST IS AT P1,673 BASED ON MARKET PRICES

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A shopper scans the displayed goods in a supermarket amid the Department of Trade and Industry's claim that a P500 budget is enough to prepare a Filipino staple Noche Buena. NICHOLAS JAN MALAG

(NICHOLAS JAN MALAGA)

A table of Noche Buena often reflects Filipino culture on plates. With the Yuletide season approaching, how much can every family spend to fulfill the Christmas spirit, and can it be justified with a P500 budget as asserted by the Department of Trade and Industry (DTI)?

The DTI previously claimed that a P500 budget is enough for noche buena, or the traditional Christmas Eve dinner. In Cebu, however, an average Noche Buena feast amounts to P1,673 based on current prices of goods in one local supermarket, reflecting more than double the cost the DTI mentioned.

The statement comes amid an ongoing investigation into corruption anomalies, and the notion, coming from DTI Secretary Cristina Roque herself, drew backlash from members of Congress last week. Notably, House Deputy Minority Leader and ACT Teachers party-list Rep. Antonio Tinio described it as "insulting and infuriating" for every working Filipino family.

In a local market in Cebu City, a spaghetti set with 700 grams of pasta and 900 grams of spaghetti sauce costs P145, half a kilo of ground pork is P175, and 180 grams of cheese costs P54. In total, that amounts to P374 without accounting for other ingredients.

A piece of round ham, a Noche Buena staple for every Filipino household, costs P599. Pork belly is P348 per kilogram, one kilogram of macaroni pasta is P83, and 100 grams of mayonnaise is P210.