Vice President Sara Duterte questioned Trade Secretary Cristina Roque’s statement that a family can prepare a noche buena meal for only ₱500 this Christmas.
Speaking in The Hague on Monday, December 1, Duterte said such an amount has long been insufficient for a traditional holiday meal.
“Hindi totoo ‘yon… Matagal na na hindi kasya ang ₱500 para sa noche buena ng [isang] pamilya,” she said.
She added that even the Christmas packs her team distributes cost far more.
“In fact sa amin na pinamimigay kapag pasko, nasa ₱2,100 na ‘yon… spaghetti and salad pack,” she noted.
Duterte ended by reiterating her disagreement with Roque’s assessment: “Hindi totoo ‘yon. Hindi ko alam kung bakit niya sinabi na ganoon ‘yong puwede na noche buena natin.”
Roque earlier maintained in a November 27 interview that ₱500 is enough to buy noche buena items—an assertion that quickly drew criticism online.