DTI’s fantastical ‘noche buena’

Trade Secretary Maria Cristina Aldeguer-Roque drew unnecessary flak last week when she made the tone-deaf suggestion that a Filipino family could have a “noche buena” meal for just P500, based on the price guide of the Department of Trade and Industry (DTI).

Roque’s suggestion immediately generated furious reactions from all sides, and for good reason.

“A slap on the face of every Filipino struggling to make ends meet,” said ACT Teachers Rep. Antonio Tinio, while other legislators said the P500 would only be enough “if you travel back in time.” The majority of Filipinos likely share the angry sentiments as while it is possible to have a meal with that measly budget, why should that be the standard when people certainly deserve much more?

It is indeed bad enough that far too many Filipinos have to make do with that amount for a regular meal for the family, but the mere suggestion to work with less than a day’s wage to enjoy what is supposed to be one of the highlights of the Christmas holidays is nothing less than insulting. “What kind of Christmas would that even be? A few noodles, eggs, water?” said Tinio.

But instead of recognizing the anger over her statement widely condemned as unrealistic and insensitive, Roque continued to defend the suggestion and insisted that a P500 noche buena meal was “really possible for a family of four.”

Bare minimum

Roque even had the temerity to suggest that people buy “bundles” of Christmas staples as fruit cocktail, spaghetti noodles and sauce, all-purpose cream, macaroni salad, and ham that can be purchased for a maximum of P500.

“Not everybody naman wants to celebrate ostentatiously or ‘yong sobra sobra. ‘Yong iba, mayroon lang silang budget para rito. For them, ito lang ‘yong handa ko, tapos whatever extra money, siguro pang-regalo na or whatever (Not everybody wants to celebrate ostentatiously or excessively. Others only have a set budget for this. For them, they only have this amount allocated for food, while the rest goes to gifts or whatever).”

Roque completely missed the point that what triggered Filipinos’ anger is not the notion that a P500 noche buena meal can be put together based on the DTI price guide on common noche buena items, but the implication that they should settle for the bare minimum (“pwede na”) and that any demand for more is somehow unreasonable.

The issue is not the price but of dignity. For the information of Roque and others in government who share her thinking, the underprivileged are already experts at stretching their budget simply because they have no other means.

Rage baiting

They have no need for pointers, especially from those who live privileged lives and do not have the foggiest idea of what it is like to live with budgets that barely cover the basics, let alone extras such as special dishes for a Christmas dinner.

No surprise therefore that the DTI’s stubborn insistence that their estimate was valid has made Filipinos’ blood boil, viewing Roque’s statements as not an expression of genuine concern, but rather of condescension and rage baiting.

Roque may profess to having the best intentions for making the suggestion. But the tone and the timing were simply unacceptable.

This, as Filipinos who disproportionately bear the weight of high prices and lack of jobs and opportunities still have vivid images of the ostentatious lifestyles of the contractors and high government officials involved in the corruption-tainted flood control and other infrastructure projects bankrolled by public money.

For Steven Cua, president of the Philippine Amalgamated Supermarkets Association, the suggestion in the face of the widening probe into the graft and corruption that has yet to come to an acceptable and appropriate conclusion showed how “out of touch” and detached from reality the government was.

Universal anger and condemnation

“They are investigating billions of pesos pocketed by government officials, then someone from the President’s Cabinet says people should make do with P500,” Cua said.

Labor group Kilusang Mayo Uno echoed this view, saying that 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.”

Against this backdrop of almost universal anger and condemnation at the suggestion of a P500 noche buena meal, Roque in particular and the Marcos administration in general should perhaps take up the suggestion of Cua to “just keep quiet.”

Instead of expending their energy to justify their fantastical suggestion, how about doing better at their jobs at DTI? As Cua suggested, they should find ways to boost the productivity of industries so they can pay their workers better.

Instead of using her time making P500 Christmas menus, Roque should get out of her office more and ramp up efforts to lower prices so that the wages and earnings will be enough for the majority of Filipinos to live in dignity and to spend more than P500 on a Christmas meal they deserve.