DAVAO CITY – Davao City first district Rep. Paolo Duterte criticized the assertion that a Filipino family can prepare Noche Buena (Christmas Eve repast) with only P500, calling the idea detached from the realities faced by ordinary households.

In a Facebook post on Monday, Dec. 1, Duterte slammed the administration, particularly Palace Press Officer and Undersecretary Claire Castro, for defending the feasibility of a P500 Christmas meal.

Duterte said such remarks show a “lack of understanding of the true hardships of Filipinos.”

He added the idea was like shopping in an imaginary mall where everything is cheap.

Duterte urged officials to try buying groceries in real neighborhood stores before commenting on family budgets.

“If that’s the level of your analysis, you’d probably be better off notarizing documents in Recto than lecturing the public on whether P500 is enough for Noche Buena,” the Davao City lawmaker said.

Duterte added that those defending the budget appear “disconnected from market prices,” saying even the cheapest Christmas ham would not fit within such an amount.

Trade and Industry Secretary Cristina Roque earlier said a P500 Noche Buena budget could still provide a basic Christmas meal, depending on the size of the family.

Roque clarified that the estimate applies to small households and refers only to essential items, based on the Department of Trade and Industry’s Noche Buena price guide.

“A family of four or less can still have a simple Christmas meal with just P500,” Roque said, noting that costs would vary according to the number of family members and the specific items families choose to buy.

The DTI releases a yearly price guide for holiday food, but consumer groups and lawmakers said rising prices make it hard for families to stick to small budgets.