The P500 ‘Noche Buena' Challenge

The P500 ‘Noche Buena' Challenge
Quote: The Philippine Daily Inquirer / 05:03 AM December 24, 2022
https://opinion.inquirer.net/159785/p500-noche-buena-challenge


".. With leaner times, and the soaring prices of basic commodities, this year many families will dig into their store of resilience and creativity to come up with a Christmas celebration worthy of memory.

To assist, the Department of Trade and Industry (DTI) has demonstrated for consumers that a budget of P500 is sufficient to meet the costs of the traditional Philippine “Noche Buena,” the dinner celebration on Christmas Eve and the midnight snack following the Mass later that evening.

The Department's “Noche Buena Budget Shopping Guide" prescribes the following ..

American ham (500 grams), P163; “Pinoy” pandesal (250 g), P23.50; Keso (cheese, 200 g), P41.75; Pasta (800 g) and Spaghetti Sauce (1 kg), P112.00; Giniling (pork, 1/8), P31.25; and Fruit Cocktail (822 g) and Kremdensada (410 ml), P116.50. This P488 Noche Buena, according to the DTI, can feed a family of four or five.

These are, to be sure, the major components of the typical middle-class Noche Buena, though researchers say majority of poor Filipinos make do with simple Christmas dishes based on rice—including suman, puto, and kakanin.

But such is the power of myth and aspirational imagination that the “traditional” dishes have attained the status of “must-haves,” without which a Filipino Christmas is deemed incomplete. And hence the Department's challenge."

--
-@PalawOne

That writer must had Psilogybin Mushrooms in his spaghetti sauce.

I've never understood how spaghetti is a traditional special gathering meal in the Philippines. I don't eat pasta hardly ever because it's junk for the body. Not that I'm overly health conscious or anything. But I'm not looking to get fat and diabetic.

Bob shares,

The P500 ‘Noche Buena' Challenge

Philippine Daily Inquirer Xmas Eve https://opinion.inquirer.net/159785/p500-noche-buena-challenge

The traditional Philippine Noche Buena, the dinner celebration on Christmas Eve and the midnight snack following the Mass later that evening.

The Shopping Guide ..

American ham (500 grams), P163; “Pinoy” pandesal (250 g), P23.50; Keso (cheese, 200 g), P41.75; Pasta (800 g) and Spaghetti Sauce (1 kg), P112.00; Giniling (pork, 1/8), P31.25; and Fruit Cocktail (822 g) and Kremdensada (410 ml), P116.50.

This 488 peso Noche Buena, from the Gov Department, are (the once a year) celebration, “must-haves,” without which a Filipino Christmas is incomplete.

--

Thanks Bob .. although, what about the children!

There's enormous happiness and courage for any poor

world country with universal Christmas family traditions.

Anyway my precious island-wife has hospital duty all Xmas.

And I only baked a chocolate cake. We've a lovely Christmas

And we're going to make a Philippine Department's traditional

Noche Buena Xmas dinner, and then I guess have a Xmas party.

Bob shares,
The P500 ‘Noche Buena' Challenge

Philippine Daily Inquirer Xmas Eve https://opinion.inquirer.net/159785/p500-noche-buena-challenge

The traditional Philippine Noche Buena, the dinner celebration on Christmas Eve and the midnight snack following the Mass later that evening.

The Shopping Guide ..

American ham (500 grams), P163; “Pinoy” pandesal (250 g), P23.50; Keso (cheese, 200 g), P41.75; Pasta (800 g) and Spaghetti Sauce (1 kg), P112.00; Giniling (pork, 1/8), P31.25; and Fruit Cocktail (822 g) and Kremdensada (410 ml), P116.50.
This 488 peso Noche Buena, from the Gov Department, are (the once a year) celebration, “must-haves,” without which a Filipino Christmas is incomplete.

--

Thanks Bob .. although, what about the children!

There's enormous happiness and courage for any poor
world country with universal Christmas family traditions.

Anyway my precious island-wife has hospital duty all Xmas.
And I only baked a chocolate cake. We've a lovely Christmas

And we're going to make a Philippine Department's traditional
Noche Buena Xmas dinner, and then I guess have a Xmas party.


-@PalawOne

I am not sure what a traditional Christmas Dinner is in Australia but reading this, I think I would fail a 10k challenge to put together something really worth eating on Christmas Day. No way could I eat this tripe after suffering on a diet consisting mostly of rice for the other 364 days of the year.

I am not exactly sure what items Philippine customs will allow when it comes to food but if a good gravy mix, stuffing mixture and a jar of cranberry sauce are allowed, I will bring them from the UK, buy a chicken and some potatoes and vegetables and make the nearest thing to a British Christmas Dinner possible. Failing that I would look for a good hotel that serves a good Christmas Dinner or high tail it out of the country over the Christmas period.

I do appreciate your list is for locals but I would certainly not be joining them to eat this and it only leaves 12 pesos for booze and chocolates.