Department of Trade and Industry (DTI) Secretary Cristina Roque said a ₱500 budget is enough for a family of four celebrating a “simple” Noche Buena, noting that many holiday food items have remained stable in price.

Roque said in a radio interview that ₱500 is enough to buy food for a holiday celebration, including ham, macaroni salad, and spaghetti.

This drew heavy criticism from lawmakers and netizens alike, who argued that such a remark is the polar opposite of the reality faced by consumers bombarded by rising prices.

In a press briefing, Roque clarified that the ₱500 Noche Buena budget is suitable only for a family of four, such as a mother, father, and two children.

“I mean, there are a lot of solo parents, or say, a mother and father, with only one child. So ₱500 is enough for them to already have at least a good Noche Buena celebration,” Roque said.

“Not everybody wants to celebrate ostentatiously, while others only have a small budget for this. For them, a simple celebration is enough, then whatever extra money, maybe it's for a gift or whatever,” she added.

Roque said a family of four can budget ₱428.70, enough to buy basic ingredients for spaghetti and macaroni salad, while also having ham and pandesal on their dining table.

She said another option is to change the macaroni salad to fruit salad, while keeping ham, spaghetti, and pandesal, all for ₱374.50.

The secretary said these prices were based on the 2025 Noche Buena price guide released earlier by the DTI to inform consumers of what to expect this holiday season.

Based on the price guide—which covers 256 holiday food items across 14 categories—129 items retained their prices from last year.

However, 95 Noche Buena items posted price increases due to higher ingredient, packaging, and labor costs.

A total of six items saw price rollbacks.

Roque advised the public to review the price guide to verify if the food items they are buying are aligned with the price standard, as well as the 60-day price freeze.

The DTI earlier reported a 99 percent compliance among retailers with the price freeze on basic goods following the recent declaration of a state of national calamity.

“We continue to monitor supermarkets and groceries for [prices of] basic necessities and prime commodities. Our president has asked us to ensure that there will be no price increases until January,” said Roque.