Suffice it to say that P3PWD Party-list nominee Rowena Guanzon flatly rejects the supposed pronouncements from the Department of Trade Industry (DTI) that P500 is adequate budget for a Filipino noche buena.
The at-times feisty Guanzon took to Twitter on Tuesday, Dec. 20 to give a particular official from DTI a piece of her mind regarding the viral P500 noche buena budget.
"Pag inulit pa ni @DTI Castelo na kasya na ang P500 sa Noche Buena padadalhan ko sya ng Christmas Gift n P500 worth na goods , including 1/8th kg giniling na baboy (If DTI's Castelo says one more time that a P500-budget is enough for noche buena, I'll send her P500 worth of goods as Christmas gift, including 1/8th kilogram of ground pork)," she said.
Guanzon's tweet has accumulated nearly 3,000 likes from inflation-weary netizens as of this posting.
The former Commission on Elections (Comelec) commissioner was apparently referring to DTI Undersecretary Ruth Castelo, who has come under fire in public--fairly or unfairly--over the agency's 2022 "price guide".
The price guide shows that P500 in today's money is enough to buy ham, cheese, spaghetti and salad for the traditional early morning Chirstmas meal. The catch is that buyers must pick the cheapest brands and small portions--like the 1/8 kilogram of ground pork.
Castelo has since defended the price guide and called it DTI's "sincere effort" to advise Filipinos consumers this holiday season.