House Deputy Minority Leader and ACT Teachers Partylist Rep. France Castro vehemently criticized the National Economic and Development Authority (NEDA) for suggesting that spending P64 for a day’s meal is sufficient to lift someone out of food poverty.
“Saang planeta kaya nabubuhay ang mga taga-NEDA para sabihin ito? Nasubukan na ba nilang mabuhay na P64 lang para sa pagkain sa buong araw ang gagastusin tapos sasabihin na di ka na mahirap kapag ganoon?” Rep. France Castro expressed in response to NEDA’s statement.
Castro continued, “Nakakagalit at nakakainsulto ang ganitong mga pahayag ng Marcos admin. Para lang masabing bumaba na ang bilang ng mga food poor, mas mahalaga pa sa kanila ang statistics kaysa maibsan ang tunay na kalagayan ng mamamayan. Ang kailangan ng mga manggagawa ay substansyal na dagdag sahod hindi minagic na computation.”
The legislator further emphasized the impracticality of the calculation, highlighting the inadequacy of P21.333 per meal per person. “Sa ganitong komputasyon kasi ay lalabas nyan lagpas P20 per meal per tao lang e hindi naman ubra yun. Ano na lang ba nabibili sa P20? Turon o banana que o kaya noodles. Hindi tatagal sa katawan ng tao yun. Hindi aabot sa normal calories na kailangan per day,” she added.
Castro also announced plans to raise the issue during the Department of Trade and Industry’s budget hearing, seeking clarification on the feasibility and nutritional adequacy of a P64 daily meal budget. “I will ask the DTI today at their budget hearing ano lang mabibili sa P64 na tatagal ng whole day at masustansya and if they agree with the NEDA’s statement. Sa bigas nga lang 29 na per kilo tapos sa Kadiwa lang mabibili yun. Sa normal na tindahan nasa P50 pataas na,” she stated.
The discussion unfolded during a Senate panel on finance hearing regarding the proposed 2025 national budget, focusing on the classification of food-poor Filipinos based on outdated data from NEDA.
The remarks by Rep. France Castro underscores the urgency to address the genuine struggles faced by the Filipino population like dismal salaries and wages as well as prevalent landlessness in the countryside.
