Filipino Tradition under Facade

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​There’s a core Filipino belief that happiness matters more than having an empty stomach—a belief akin to a well-curated photo of a family smiling altogether, masking hunger through joy and love. However, this facade undermines the current status of the Filipino people, especially the working class.

​In recent news, the Department of Trade and Industry (DTI) claims that ₱500 is enough to purchase products for holiday celebrations. This is a literal slap in the face, considering how the government utilizes unrealistic budgets in an unequal country where poverty pervades.

​Let’s face it: no amount of money as low as the current minimum wage of ₱695 is sufficient to buy products that will serve a family at a dinner table. According to IBON, Filipino workers with a family of five barely survive on the current minimum wage. What more can that wage cover if it is meant for the celebration of a crucial ritual in the country?

​Additionally, one must critically assess the country's inflation. Although the current administration managed to keep inflation stagnant at 1.70% this month, it does not equate to prices being lowered in an instant. Hence, prices of key foods and ingredients for the holidays are still at their peak of suggested retail prices.

​Furthermore, the proposal exposes the ongoing inequality in the country. Recent Social Weather Stations (SWS) surveys have shown that 50% of Filipino respondents were poor. This proves that ₱500 alone is not enough to suppress hunger to celebrate the holidays, especially when Filipinos’ daily living expenses are also taken into account.

Moreover, the proposed budget of ₱500 for Noche Buena is out of touch with the current situation in the country, as it is viewed to be another propaganda movement from the government—a tactic that is not new to the public.

It was a dismay-filled proposal to the working class, considering that the budget alone is not enough, nor does it even barely cover one staple dish in celebration of the holidays. According to Bicol Saro party-list Rep. Terry Ridon, the Filipino people are drowning in high prices, yet the DTI is facing the public with such gimmicks that are truly insulting.

Additionally, analyzing the current DTI price guide also reveals limitations in the proposed budget, making it disconnected from the real narrative. Although the bare-boned computation of ₱500 may be enough to buy ingredients for such a celebration, the department overlooks other crucial celebration necessities such as beverages, desserts, and the cost of preparing the food.

Furthermore, the pushing-through of the proposed budget also targets the public's focus on the holiday season, diverting their attention from the recent corruption scandals in the country. This was highlighted by ACT Teachers party-list Rep. Antonio Tinio, suggesting that while contractors with their connections in the government are living their lavish lives wasting people's money, the same government tricks people into maximizing their money by tightening their belt.

It is understandable why the public is enraged by such claims, given that those who speak for the working class often grew up with "silver spoon" familial ties. While the Filipino people continuously work for a minimum wage insufficient for daily living to make ends meet, the government tries to educate them with proper financial management in the country where economic employment, labor markets, and education itself are deficient.

So, what is the clear purpose of this budget for the holidays if such major factors lack consideration? Is it to help the Filipino people utilize their minimum wage wisely to buy the littlest necessities for the holiday? Or is it to undermine the current state of Filipinos by exposing how the government masks its perception of the public as lowly as eating a piece of spaghetti noodle and a glass of water in what is supposed to be a "Filipino tradition".

With all things considered, this crisis is a reflection of the government’s lack of accountability towards the current status of the country. Instead of helping them stretch inadequate pesos to enjoy a crumb for what they called a feast, what the government needs is to understand the true weight of inflation. With proper economic policies that align with the current cost of living in the country—along with sufficient income to support the wage-earners—making a living should build life, not by any means, be a mere struggle for survival. Every Filipino should and will always be entitled to celebrate the most wonderful time of the year.

​After all, the tradition was meant to reflect joy and celebration—not a fixed calculation of what people can only afford and how much they can only lose. [F]

via Joesef Peralta, Staff Writer