GMA-7 comedienne and actress Pokwang has decided to take on the PHP1,000 weekly budget challenge, and her experience was nothing short of an eye-opener.
Pokwang documented her experience via a post on Instagram Reels last Saturday, September 16, 2023, sharing her struggles and ultimately revealing she was unable to fulfill the challenge.
In the video, Pokwang displayed the items she purchased, also showing the prices she had paid for some of them.
She said, "So ito yung aking 1,000-peso challenge, ayan, pang-ulam. Hindi ko alam kung ilang araw tatagal to, pero ito po ang mga nabili ko sa 1,000.
"Apat na sardinas na maliliit, kalahating-kilong galunggong, tapos kamatis [at] sibuyas na tig-one-fourth...
"Dalawang taling kangkong, dalawang taling talbos ng kamote, dalawang taling [dahon ng] ampalaya...
"At sayote, 80 na po ito, dalawang piraso. At itlog, 6 na piraso. Limang kilong bigas.
"So, ayan po yung mga nabili ko lahat. Titignan natin kung ilang araw po aabot to. Try natin! Let's go!"
Read: Pokwang throws shade at ex-partner Lee O’Brian anew: “Again di ako kumakain ng sinuka ko na.”
In addition to the items she listed, PEP.ph (Philippine Entertainment Portal) noticed three bananas and repackaged cooking oil among Pokwang's grocery purchases.
After her post, Pokwang addressed her followers' comments and questions:.
An Instagram user @iamdgmz1204 asked Pokwang where she bought her groceries, "Sang palengke yan Mamang? Dami na yan for 1K"
Pokwang wrote in response, "@iamdgmz1204 nasa Mariveles kami po."
However, the major concern was whether she could make everything last for a week.
Instagram user @cgsflorido inquired, "Kasya pang 1 week mamang?"
Pokwang answered, "@cgsflorido napagkasya ko ng two days binase ko sa lima sa pamilya."
Even though she didn't succeed in the challenge, Pokwang's Instagram followers praised her for adopting a practical and realistic approach to the PHP1,000 weekly budget challenge.
It certainly would help shed light on the challenges poised by the escalating prices of essential items on the Filipino households. 
PHP1,000 WEEKLY BUDGET CHALLENGE
Netizens have been discussing the steady rise in grocery prices over the past few years.
Recently, the buzz escalated owing to a Facebook post by a netizen named Marion Abilene Navarro, revealing her grocery items that amounted to PHP1,000.
The small number of items she could afford prompted conversations about the increasing costs of essential goods.
The discussion continued when former actress Neri Naig proposed her own meal plan supposedly achievable within a PHP1,000 budget.
However, the former actress faced mixed reactions from netizens with some emphasizing the impossibility of achieving her suggested meal plan on such a meager budget.
READ MORE ARTICLES ABOUT POKWANG:
- Kapuso hosts Glaiza de Castro at Pokwang, ano ang reaksiyon sa issue ng 'It's Showtime'?
- Pokwang blocks old IG account of daughter Malia; creates new account after Lee O'Brian refused to grant her access
- Pokwang pokes fun at freshly baked banana bread: “May anak ako pero di laspag.”
- Pokwang admits she hasn't moved on from ex Lee O’Brian: “Kapag wala na siya sa Pilipinas.”