Surviving on 64 Pesos a Day

The head of the National Economic and Development Authority took the flak recently for stating that a Filipino can survive on 64 pesos a day on food. While it may be technically true using current prices of the items considered to be the cheapest source of minimum nutritional requirements of a person per day, hearing it from the country’s head of socio-economic planning rubbed everyone the wrong way.

That food budget should be spent on an unvarying set of items, day in and day out. While machines run on the same fuel, can this be expected of people? Obviously not!

And food is only one among our basic needs. We should add clothes, shelter, medicine, and education.

The focus on food poverty, while a good start, barely scratches the surface. The responsibility of government to its citizens does not end with gainful (and meaningful) employment. It should be quickly followed by an increasing standard of living through increasing purchasing capacity