Kamanggagawa Party-list Rep. Elijah “Eli” San Fernando has challenged Department of Trade and Industry (DTI) Secretary Cristina Roque to prove her claim that a ₱500 budget is enough for a Filipino family’s noche buena.
Roque reportedly said that ₱500 could cover staples such as ham, macaroni salad, and spaghetti—fixtures of a traditional Christmas Eve feast—“depending on how many people are eating.”
San Fernando slammed the remark as detached from reality.
“Ang pahayag na ito ay insulto sa bawat manggagawa at ordinaryong Pilipino. Totoo na hindi kailangang magarbo ang handaan. Pero ano bang simple at disenteng Noche Buena ang kayang bilhin ng ₱500 para sa isang pamilya?” he said in a statement Friday, Nov. 28.
The minority congressman added that Roque’s comment betrayed her lack of awareness of current market prices.
“Hindi siguro namamalengke ang DTI Secretary. Sa presyuhan ngayon, kape pa lang niya sa umaga, ubos na ang kalahati ng ₱500,” San Fernando noted.
To prove her claim, he dared the Cabinet official to join him in the market.
“Hinahamon ko mismo si Secretary Aldeguer-Roque: samahan niya ako sa palengke at patunayan niyang kaya ang Noche Buena sa halagang limang daan,” he declared.
San Fernando warned that such pronouncements reflect “a dangerous disconnect” between government leaders and the lived realities of Filipino families grappling with rising prices.
He cautioned that remarks like these further erode public trust, especially at a time when households are burdened by high commodity costs, stagnant wages, and uncertainty brought about by the flood control projects corruption scandal. (Ellson Quismorio)
