The ‘noche buena’ we deserve
The Department of Trade and Industry (DTI) seems to be making a holiday tradition out of infuriating us with their “noche buena” budget. Trade Secretary Maria Cristina Aldeguer-Roque claimed that a Filipino family could celebrate noche buena for as little as P500, based on their price guide. This is not a new claim; the agency has been making this statement for years. And like before, they receive severe backlash for how out-of-touch and tone-deaf this is.
This year is particularly egregious. Hundreds of billions of taxpayer money were stolen by corrupt government officials and contractors, with no big fish behind bars despite the Palace’s promise that people would be in jail by Christmas. Amidst this tumultuous backdrop, to “celebrate” that Filipinos can make do with P500 for their Christmas meal is a blatant insult. It demonstrates callousness and a lack of understanding of what Filipinos need to hear from their leaders.
I find it inexplicable why they keep doubling down on this message year after year. What do they have to gain except rage from their constituents? The only explanation that makes sense is if someone up top—certainly not someone who has bought any groceries recently—has instructed DTI to showcase that the administration is handling the economy well. Is it a way, perhaps, to make the Palace look good? If so, then somebody should get fired.
This is the problem when you only care about the words of a message instead of its meaning and context. At its most naïve, they may simply have wanted to tell Filipinos that it is possible to celebrate with very little money. In insisting on the truthfulness of their claim, they cling to technicalities. Why, yes, you can afford spaghetti—but don’t include onions or oil. Or any seasoning for that matter. Yes, you can still afford meat, but keep it to a spoonful of meat per person. What do you mean you can’t afford a whole ham? You can make do with one thin slice per person.
In relying on these technicalities, however, the message that we do hear is: “Filipinos have to make do.” They’re telling us to tighten our belts. To sacrifice for the holidays. That this isn’t the season for abundance or plenty. While keeping celebrations simple can be a virtue, should we trust this message from a government that has been filling up its personal vaults and bank accounts with taxpayer funds? With government thieves continuing to traipse around Europe, using our own hard-earned money to fund their escape from accountability?
Where was this tightening of the belt in last year’s State of the Nation Address, with the food budget purported to be P20 million for 2,000 people? That is P10,000 per person if you’re invited by the administration to celebrate their achievements, but only P125 if you’re an average Filipino wanting to celebrate the holidays. The fact that we know that those who keep touting this P500 claim are definitely not keeping to that budget for their own celebrations makes it even more upsetting. It is disingenuous. It is hypocritical. It is cruel and heartless. It shows an utter lack of respect for their constituents. It means that they see their worth as being more than ours. They see us as less-than. This goes beyond the “pwede na” mentality. What they’re truly saying is “pwede na ito para sa inyo.” This is the mindset of a lord, not a public servant.
Celebrations and traditions hold tremendous meaning. The noche buena is a time when families come together to greet the start of Christmas. For Christians, it is a “salubong” to the birth of Christ. In other words, the feast of the noche buena is akin to a welcoming party. As such, what is on the table ideally should represent how much we wish to herald the special day. We need to validate Filipinos’ desire to have a noche buena spread that symbolizes what is in their hearts–their generosity and overflowing love for each other and their Creator.
By insisting on their P500-claim, the government has demeaned the meaning of the noche buena. They have failed to recognize and respect the meaning of our traditions. Moreover, they have failed to capture the will of the people.
If they truly understood what Filipinos desired this holiday season, then the messaging should be “you deserve better.” Our leaders should recognize that our worth, our value, and our dignity are not being accurately reflected by current conditions. We deserve an abundant noche buena. We deserve to enjoy breaking bread with loved ones without overly worrying about how much it will cost us. We deserve to leave the table full, not hungry. We deserve to celebrate wholeheartedly, without making do with the scraps that corrupt officials have left behind. We deserve not to be fooled into thinking that this is all that is possible for us. We deserve a government that believes we deserve more.
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aatuazon@up.edu.ph
