
During the Senate panel on Finance’s hearing on the proposed budget on Tuesday, Arsenio Balisacan, Secretary of the National Economic and Development Authority (NEDA), said that 64 pesos a day for three meals, or 21 pesos per meal per person, is enough to survive the day.
This statement, dropped into the national discourse like a pebble being thrown in a calm pond has sent ripples of disbelief, anger, and bewilderment across the Philippines. The idea that 21 pesos per meal seems like a purely symbolic act by the government to present an image that we are economically well. Many people might recall that there was a time where we could grab a simple snack or such meal with a nominal budget. However, let’s face reality, this is not 1992 anymore.
The government’s standard of what constitutes a decent meal budget is downright out of touch with the realities faced by an ordinary Filipino. Is this a cruel joke that utterly disregards the plight of millions of our countrymen or just a slap on the face about the widening gap between the rich and the poor?
As a citizen, I do not agree that it should be 21 pesos per meal per person, one for each family member. For me, this is a big joke because, if we look at reality, 21 pesos for one person's meal is really not enough because, as the year goes by, the prices increase. Let's say we can buy something for 21 pesos, but is it enough to satisfy a person? Can this food provide nutrients for a person's body?
This notion is not just wrong but dangerous. It risks perpetuating the tired narrative that poverty is a personal failure rather than a systematic problem. It could be used to justify further adjustments of the budgets in social services and government support.
As Filipino people, we must demand accountability and transparency of data from NEDA. How did they arrive at this conclusion? How did they get the figures?
It is long overdue, NEDA and the government as a whole to reconnect with the ground. They need to visit communities, engage with the people they serve, and see firsthand the struggles of ordinary Filipinos. Sure, they can also try to challenge themselves and see if they can buy any decent meal for 21 pesos. Only then will they realize the absurdity of their statement.
Until that happens, we must continue the fight for a proper living wage, for accessible and affordable goods, for free education for all, and for a fucking good government that TRULY cares about its people.