Are you also on a “tightening your belt” mode because of the soaring prices of commodities and services? I am, and I know many others who are. I do not even consider myself poor. I wonder how ordinary Filipinos are coping.
I do not have to be a doctor of economics to know that the economy is going bad. I feel the pinch and it hurts. Middle class friends say they also do. Recently, I was speaking with someone rich, as in top one percent rich and as before, we got to talk about food, one of our guilty pleasures. He remarked that he has noticed how much the prices of foodstuff have significantly increased. If someone as rich as this guy finds food expensive, we can only imagine how hard it must be for ordinary mortals.
Filipinos will not survive without rice. Many of us have this for breakfast, lunch and dinner. But this staple food has become so expensive. We are also running out of stock of this most important staple food. The National Food Authority has said that its stocks are only good for three days if the whole country is to be supplied.
Worse, the NFA has been accused of improperly storing its rice and some sacks were found to have animal waste. Worst, not only do we now import rice, some of the imported commodities have been found to be infested with weevil or “bukbok.” This is unacceptable.
I, for one, am quite particular with my rice. I want good, newly cooked, hot rice if I am to eat well. I have no problem with simple viands but I am choosy with my rice. The rice that I best like now costs P72-75 per kilo from the former P50-55 per kilo. I have now settled for the second best which costs P60-65 per kilo. We also make sure that we only cook what we think we can consume in one sitting. Sometimes, we find ourselves running out of cooked rice. Bitin!
It is really unthinkable that this agricultural country now has rice-shortage, and has resorted to rice importation. Countries like Thailand and Vietnam studied rice propagation technology in our very own International Rice Research Institute (IRRI) but we have been overtaken by them by many miles. Naiwan na naman tayo sa kangkungan.
The big increases in gasoline prices have pushed the prices of virtually everything up the ceiling.
I used to enjoy doing the groceries and until recently, did not bother to do lists of things we needed in the house. I bought what I wanted and rarely looked at prices. Now, I do not relish going to the supermarket. If I can afford not to, I do not. Doing this controls my buying habits and only necessities are bought. When I must do the groceries, I now compare prices and buy less. Once, I stuck to buying the things I liked and I ended up paying almost double for my usual P8,000 worth of groceries.
Small shops and markets is where we frequently go now. Not only are the prices more reasonable, we are finding that the vegetables and fruits are fresher. I actually like going to Divisoria and I would frequent it if it were easier to go to.
My friends have been doing the same. Some of us have even switched from going to high-end salons for our haircuts to the modern barber shops that cater to men and women.
We also eat out less and when we do, we go to places that we are sure to deliver because we do not want to pay for something not to our liking. We have set a limit to trying out new restaurants and cafés. When we go to new places, we first read reviews to lessen the possibility of getting disappointed.
Since gasoline is very expensive, I try to stay put in one place as much as possible. However, my work requires me to go to numerous meetings and the P1,000.00 worth of gas on the average only lasts up to two days depending on where my meetings are and how bad the traffic is.
I do not like driving to Makati and when I must go there, I use Grab. My last trip for a meeting cost me a little over P1,000.00! This is how expensive going from one place to another has become in Metro Manila.
I am just thankful that all my kids are now professionals and I no longer have any dependent. I dread to think how ordinary families, especially those with kids in school, are able to make ends meet with the very high cost of living these days. Are they even able to go out for some fun? What kind of food do they eat? Do they content themselves with instant noodles day in and day out?
Inflation is on a nine-year high. This means that the buying power of our money is much less. The peso has been going consistently weaker by the day. As of this writing, 1USD equals PhP53.54. Some say that this is good for our exporters but the reality is our export industry is very weak.
Many blame the Tax Reform for Acceleration and Inclusion law for the increase in prices of products and services. Still, this administration is poised to approve TRAIN 2, which, experts say will make matters even worse than how things are now.
With the slashing of the budgets for education and health, expect social services to suffer more.
Up to what extent will people suffer? There might come a time when tightening of belts will not be enough to cope. History, however, has taught us that a hungry and sickly people is an angry people. Government must beware.
@bethangsico on Twitter Elizabeth Angsioco on Facebook