MANILA, Philippines — The National Economic and Development Authority (NEDA) has responded to widespread criticism regarding its recently announced food poverty threshold of P21 per meal, emphasizing that this figure is not intended to represent the cost of meals suitable for a decent standard of living.
In a statement released late Thursday, NEDA Secretary Arsenio Balisacan addressed the concerns, clarifying that the P21 metric is a measurement tool meant to guide government poverty policies, rather than a budgetary recommendation for families.
“These thresholds serve as part of a broader set of tools used to assess the country’s development progress,” Balisacan explained. “They are not, and were never intended to be, prescribed budgets for a decent standard of living. They do not dictate how much a family should spend on food, nor do they provide an idea of a desirable household budget.”
The P21 per meal threshold is calculated to meet basic energy and micronutrient needs, highlighting the stark reality of food poverty in the Philippines. It reflects the minimum cost required for survival, rather than a standard for comfortable or nutritious meals.
Critics have voiced concerns that this figure trivializes the struggles of those living in poverty, questioning whether such a low cost can truly sustain a healthy lifestyle. The debate continues as advocates for the poor call for a more realistic assessment of food and living costs.
Balisacan, a former poverty economist, reiterated that the objective of the food threshold is to measure the effectiveness of government initiatives in combating poverty, rather than to define a family’s acceptable food expenditure.
As discussions around food security and poverty persist, the government faces mounting pressure to address the growing concerns of food insufficiency among its citizens.
