The Philippine Statistics Authority (PSA) set the poverty threshold at ₱10,727 per month on average late last year. This means that a family of 5 would only need a monthly income of ₱10,727 to survive. Philippine Statistics Authority Assistant Secretary Rosalinda Bautista explained on Wednesday, December 11 how this might be broken down.
(A paid online ‘troll’ can apparently earn P30,000-P70,000 monthly)
Bautista said that P10,727 would be the minimum amount to get a family basic food and non-food items. Food costs should be budgeted to ₱7,528 per month while non-food items, such as clothing, fuel, light, water, rent, house repairs, medical care, education, transportation, and personal care would only need the remaining ₱3,199.
A sample menu for the ₱7,528 budget was suggested:
- Breakfast: Scrambled egg, steamed rice, coffee with milk
- Lunch: Boiled monggo with malunggay and dried dilis, steamed rice, and a banana
- Dinner: Fried tulingan, boiled kangkong, and steamed rice
- Snacks: Pandesal
“Basic needs are basic needs. No frills. No fancy items there. But it’s basic needs by definition,” Socioeconomic Planning Secretary Ernesto Pernia said.
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