To show that a PHP500 still carries meaningul value during this Christmas, Trade and Industry Secretary Cristina A. Roque presented three options to show that the amount would be sufficient enough to have a good but basic Noche Buena celebration for a Filipino family of four.
In a hastily called press conference, Roque tried to explain the PHP500 Noche Buena budget after receiving public backlash over her earlier pronouncement that such an amount can suffice for a traditional Filipino Christmas Eve meal.
Roque explained that the PHP500 budget is intended for a family of four consisting of a mother, father, and two children.
Here’s a look into the three meal options she presented based on the DTI Noche Buena Price Guide List from brands that did not raise their prices.
The first option comprises Christmas ham (PHP170), spaghetti noodles (PHP30), and spaghetti sauce (PHP48.50).
This option also includes two salads: macaroni and fruit. The macaroni salad ingredients include macaroni (PHP40.95), mayonnaise (PHP55), and cheese (PHP56.50), for a total of PHP152. The fruit salad includes fruit cocktail (PHP61.75), all-purpose cream (PHP36.50), and a 10-piece pack of pandesal worth PHP27.75.
Based on Roque’s computation, this first option will cost a total of PHP526.95.
But for a simpler Noche Buena celebration, a family of four can make do with just one salad, she said.
Under Option 2, the Noche Buena meal is cheaper as it does not include fruit salad. This option comprises only Christmas ham, spaghetti, macaroni salad, and Pinoy pandesal, for a total of PHP428.70.
Roque said this leaves an excess of PHP72 that can be spent on luncheon meat (PHP41) and corned beef (PHP34).
Option 3 includes only fruit salad while still retaining Christmas ham, spaghetti, and Pinoy pandesal. This would total PHP374.50, leaving an excess of PHP125 that can be used for other items.
Roque reiterated that the PHP500 is a basic Noche Buena budget for a family of four based on the 2025 Noche Buena Price Guide List from brands that did not raise their prices.
“The PHP500 budget is enough to have a good Christmas Noche Buena celebration,” she added.
Meanwhile, in a radio interview, Steven Cua of the Philippine Amalgamated Supermarkets Association said DTI was correct in its computation.
But Cua emphasized that the PHP500 budget is not a “grand” kind of Noche Buena celebration.
He explained that the cost of the traditional Filipino Noche Buena meal will largely depend on which products a consumer chooses to purchase for the Christmas Eve celebration.
Cua, who is also president of Welcome Supermarket, said Filipinos are not yet shopping for the Christmas Eve celebration. Normally, he said, shoppers do their shopping a week or two before December 25.
He urged consumers to shop early to avoid the rush and prevent pressure for price hikes.
Cua explained that when consumers shop early, manufacturers and distributors will also have time to adjust their production and logistics, helping prevent price increases.
