29/11/2025
Secretary Christina Roque, let’s be honest.
Saying that PHP 500 is enough for a Noche Buena is not just a miscalculation but a painful reminder of how disconnected this administration is from the everyday struggle of Filipino families.
You didn’t just miss the number.
You missed the reality.
While you spoke in air-conditioned comfort,
Filipino mothers were counting coins,
workers were stretching wages,
and families were adjusting their Christmas expectations just to survive.
HERE IS WHAT YOU NEED TO HEAR, DIRECTLY FROM THE PEOPLE.
1️⃣ “MALI ANG NUMERO MO, SEC. AT MAS MALI ANG TIMING.”
At a time when prices are skyrocketing,
when salary remains static,
when basic goods cost more than ever, your statement felt like an insult, not guidance.
If the data you used does not match the market,
the error is not in the public — it’s in your office.
2️⃣ “HINDI KAMI NABUBUHAY SA THEORETICAL PRICES.”
Filipinos live in real markets.
Real supermarkets.
Real palengkes.
And the truth is simple:
PHP 500 cannot buy a dignified Noche Buena today.
Hindi totoo. Hindi sapat. Hindi makatao.
3️⃣ “KUNG TOTOO ANG PAGLILINGKOD, DAPAT IKAW MUNA ANG AAYOS NG DATOS MO.”
Before advising the public,
fix your monitoring.
Fix your coordination.
Fix your pricing studies.
Fix your reality checks.
Because the people are tired of leaders who speak confidently but measure badly.
4️⃣ “BUMABA KA SA PALENGKE — HINDI SA PODIUM.”
Kung talagang gusto mong malaman ang totoo, Sec:
Go to supermarkets unannounced.
Go to public markets without media.
Go to groceries without a camera crew.
Talk to mothers buying hotdogs by the stick.
Talk to workers buying noodles one pack at a time.
Talk to families who will skip ham this year because it is simply too expensive.
There you will discover the truth that your department’s numbers failed to capture.
5️⃣ “KUNG AYAW NG PALUSOT, SOLUSYON ANG INAASAHAN NAMIN SA ’YO.”
This is not the time to defend a bad statement.
This is the time to correct a bad system.
● Freeze unnecessary price hikes
● Go after profiteering
● Remove bottlenecks that increase logistics cost
● Support local manufacturers who are drowning in bureaucracy
● Push for real, updated SRPs based on actual monitoring
● Give consumers real-time, honest price guides
● Stop painting a picture that does not exist
Filipinos don’t need PR.
They need leadership.
Secretary, the people don’t expect you to be perfect.
They expect you to be present.
They expect you to be grounded.
They expect you to speak truth not fiction.
And they expect you to act, not defend.
If you truly want to serve,
start with humility, continue with honesty, and finish with results.
Yan ang leadership.
Yan ang trabaho.
Yan ang dapat.
CTTO
