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December 3, 2025 | 12:00am
Market vendor Glenda Eron shows a P520 Noche Buena package from her stall at Commonwealth Market in Quezon City yesterday. Eron said a complete set of ingredients for a family of four should cost at least P800. Malacañang stood by the Department of Trade and Industry estimate that P500 is enough for a Noche Buena – a claim that has drawn flak for being unrealistic and insulting to workers who are facing financial struggles.
Michael Varcas
MANILA, Philippines — Vice President Sara Duterte yesterday slammed the Department of Trade and Industry (DTI)’s claim that P500 is enough for a Noche Buena meal.
“That’s not true. It’s not true that P500 is enough to buy Noche Buena. It’s been a long time that P500 is not enough for the family’s Noche Buena,” Duterte said in an interview in The Hague, Netherlands.
Malacañang earlier stood by the DTI’s position, a claim that has drawn flak for being unrealistic and insulting to workers facing financial struggles.
“What we are distributing every Christmas is already worth P2,100, the spaghetti and salad pack,” Duterte noted.
Antipolo Bishop Ruperto Santos, for his part, said Noche Buena is a sacred Christmas gathering and the DTI should not steal its spirit and meaning from families.
Trade Secretary Cristina Roque has claimed that a budget of P500 would be enough for a family of four to have a decent Christmas Eve dinner.
Militant labor group Kilusang Mayo Uno dared Palace officials to visit the markets and see what they can buy for P500.
Meanwhile, party-list group Trade Union Congress of the Philippines filed a bill to increase to P7,000 the Personnel Economic Relief Allowance benefit for government employees.
