Economist says ‘food poor’ threshold must take into account inflation, regional wages

The government must take into account inflation and regional wages along with nutritional requirements when computing for the “food poor” threshold, which the Philippine Statistics Authority (PSA) computed as P64 daily, an economist said over the weekend.

According to economist Emmanuel Leyco, the P64 computed by the government is not enough to sustain the daily food requirements of Filipinos.

“Ang panawagan ay magkakaroon ng tama at mas makahulugan na survey kung ano ang pangangailangan ng mga mamamayan. Definitely po ang 64 pesos kada araw ay hindi sapat,” he said in an interview on GMA Super Radyo DZBB aired on 24 Oras Weekend on Sunday.

“Tignan po natin ang nutritional requirements. Ano po ang sustansya ng mga kinakain at mabibili ng halagang 64 pesos kada araw,” he added.

(The call is for a correct and a more meaningful survey on what the citizens need… Let us look at the nutritional requirements. What is the value of what can be bought and eaten with P64 daily.)

This comes as National Economic and Development Authority (NEDA) secretary Arsenio Balisacan last week, citing government surveys, said that a monthly threshold for a family of five is P9,581 or P64 per person daily.

“Mas mahalaga na makita natin, halimbawa… Sa mga lugar po… Gaano ba kataas ‘yung presyo kasi iba-iba ang inflation, iba-iba ang presyo kada lugar, at iba-iba rin po ang sinusweldo ng ating mga manggagawa sa iba’t ibang mga lugar,” Leyco said.

(It is more important to see, for example… How high prices are in areas because inflation ranges, prices range per area, and wages vary from area to area.)

In its computation, the Philippine Statistics Authority (PSA) said the amount was arrived at after costing the menu for breakfast, lunch, and dinner that will give the required energy and nutrients, as prepared by a nutritionist.

The agency’s sample food bundle, composed of three meals, includes a scrambled egg, coffee with milk, and boiled rice or rice-corn mix for breakfast; boiled monggo or mung beans with malunggay (moringa) and dried dilis (anchovy), banana, and boiled rice or corn mix for lunch; fried fish or boiled pork, a vegetable dish, and boiled rice or corn mix for dinner; and bread or boiled root crop for snacks.

The same report on 24 Oras Weekend on Sunday, however, showed that the sample menu of the PSA would cost P174.50 in the Mega Q-Mart in Quezon City, excluding rice at P52 per kilograms, and other cooking essentials such as oil and salt.

Bayan Muna also tried to buy ingredients based on the PSA’s sample menu at the Commonwealth Market in Quezon City, but was only able to buy mung beans, salt, two bananas, a piece of kamoteng kahoy, and one-fourth of a kilo of rice.

The PSA last week already admitted that the P64 per person daily amount was insufficient to meet nutritional or dietary requirements in a day, adding that the current methodology in setting a food poverty ceiling is under review.

The National Nutrition Council also last week said that P64 is not enough to reach the recommended energy and nutrients for the body, and having that type of diet for a long period of type could lead to sickness and a weak performance. —RF, GMA Integrated News