Is the one-thousand-peso weekly meal plan of Neri Naig actually doable? Is it applicable to most Filipino households? Or is it the illusion of a housewife with resources that most housewives don't have?
Read:
- Neri Naig clarifies P1K weekly meal plan: "Kunin ang mga sayote and other gulay sa bakuran."
- Chito Miranda reacts to netizens criticizing wife Neri Naig's P1K weekly meal plan
NIKKO TUAZON, PEP LIFESTYLE & SOCIAL MEDIA EDITOR
I get that Neri meant well. She was just tossing the idea that living on PHP1,000 a week is manageable. She wanted to be helpful. But, clearly, she needed to do a lot more tossing.
As it is, she missed the mark for several reasons:
- In Gen Z terms: "The math isn't mathing." Mahal lahat ng nasa listahan niya. Period. Even if she says that ingredients can come from plants in her backyard that she herself planted, this option isn't available to the larger population that doesn't own a house, much less own land. They have no backyard. Especially for city-based folk cramped in apartments and lean-tos, who probably don't have time to cultivate crops and vegetables after attending to multiple chores, large families, and itinerant jobs.
- Her suggestion once again romanticizes the Pinoy's resiliency. Gasgas na gasgas na yang “kakayanin basta wais” at “silver-lining” mindset. Hindi talaga uubra ang "look for the beauty in this situation."
In a practical sense, sustaining three daily meals for an individual—even a family of four—with a PHP1,000 budget for a week is achievable, but it entails predominantly consuming instant noodles and canned goods.
However, this diet falls short of providing adequate nutrition, especially for the children among us.
Neri got called out for not doing the homework on her post. If she hadn't been criticized for it, she wouldn't have ditched the post and made the effort to come back with a more thought-out plan.
I hope people would react with the same verve to their elected officials whose job is to provide solutions to the food crisis but do not even bother to justify their confidential funds.
ARNIEL SERATO, PEP LEAD CORRESPONDENT
Feasible naman daw itong weekly meal plan ni Neri na PHP1K para sa dalawang tao na katamtaman lang ang kain.
Pero, sa normal na pamilyang Pilipino na kailangan sa hapag-kainan ng dalawang ulam at gulay kahit minsan sa isang linggo, imposible talaga itong ma-achieve.
Dagdag din, hindi pala kasama sa P1K ang mga dapat bilhin sa palengke na itlog, gulay, at prutas na sobrang mahal na rin ang presyo ngayon. Katulad na lamang sa kamatis na pabago-bago man ang presyo ay umabot na rin ng siyete pesos ang isa!
Kaya marami ang pumalag na hindi talaga sapat ang PHP1K para sa isang linggo ng isang pamilyang may tatlo hanggang limang miyembro.
Binura ni Neri ang kanyang post dahil hindi niya ito mapanindigan.
Ang dami talagang pumuna sa PHP1K-weekly-meal plan na yan kunsaan lahat ng dinner ay leftovers ng breakfast at lunch.
Maraming pamilya ang walang leftovers dahil ang kanilang niluluto sa agahan at tanghalian ay sapat lamang sa kanilang konsumo.
Hindi naman maaaring gutumin ng isang ina ang kanyang pamilya, kaya kailangan niya pa ring iraos ang hapunan.
Ako nga na mag-isa sa bahay, kasama ang isang aso, alam kong hindi uubra ang isanlibo sa isang linggo dahil sa aso pa lang PHP650 na ang pagkain sa pitong araw.
Pamilya din kasi ang turing ko at ng karamihan sa atin sa ating mga alaga sa bahay.
KAREN PAGSOLINGAN, PEP EXECUTIVE EDITOR
It would have been a very relatable meal plan especially now when many Filipinos are complaining about the high cost of living.
In the past few weeks, on my Facebook feed, netizens have been showing what their hard-earned money managed to buy at the supermarket.
Suma total, konting-konti ang mabibili ng PHP1,000.
Ang ganda sana ng post ni Neri. Very helpful sana if kumpleto at detalyado.
Her social-media followers know that she’s into gardening, which can really help reduce food cost dahil ultimo kamatis ay napakamahal—nung huli kong tingin, 60 pesos para sa limang piraso!
And if only she made recos: for example, where to buy ng mas murang gulay? I buy from a maggugulay in our neighborhood and save about PHP600 per month.
What dishes can moms prepare? Tipong mura at masustansiya pero masarap since magaling naman siyang magluto.
But this is just me wishing na angat sana yung mga ganitong klaseng posts na hindi lang tungkol sa OOTDs o mga travels at iba pang flexes.
Na nag-viral sana yung weekly meal plan ni Neri dahil may ambag sana sa daily life ng netizens.
Lastly, to all influencers who have a multitude of followers, I hope you use that influence to come up with content that will make a difference.
Hindi lang siya dapat viral at tiba-tiba sa engagement or views, kundi very useful din. Kumbaga, may napala ang nagbasa, and #HappyAll.