CAN YOU SURVIVE on P64 a day?
The Philippines’ food-poverty threshold of P64 ($1.12) for three meals a day is not that far from the international poverty line of $2.15 (approximately P123) a day, the Philippine Statistics Authority (PSA) said yesterday.
The National Economic and Development Authority earlier said the monthly food threshold for a family of five is at P9,581 (US$167.46) or about P20 (US$0.35) per meal.
Various groups have denounced the NEDA statement, saying the P320 (approximately US$5.59) daily food budget for a family of five is too low.
Bernadette Balamban, chief statistical specialist of the PSA poverty and human development statistics division, said the P64 per person food-poverty threshold is based on the national average of food prices in 2023.
She said the Food and Nutrition Research Institute (FNRI) has a recommended “food bundle” that meets the recommended energy and nutrient intake of Filipinos to maintain health and well-being.
The FNRI recommended menu for the National Capital Region (NCR) includes the following:
* breakfast – scrambled egg, coffee with milk and boiled rice
* lunch – boiled monggo with malunggay, banana latundan and rice
* dinner – fried tulingan, boiled kangkong, boiled rice and pandesal
Balamban noted the food poverty threshold for NCR is slightly higher at P361 a day or P72 per person.
She also noted the food-poverty threshold takes into account that the meals are cooked at home instead of buying ready-made meals. (ABS-CBN News)
