MANILA — Single father and tricycle driver Virgilio Mendoza’s day begins with setting up his improvised stove. He cannot afford to buy a tank of LPG.

He earns P500 a day after driving his tricycle for 15 hours.

Mendoza budgets their meal by skipping breakfast. Often, they share just 4 eggs and 2 instant noodles for lunch and dinner.

"Hindi na po ako nag-a-almusal. Mag-almusal lang ang apat kong anak okay na. Gulay dati makabibili ka ng sampung piso ngayon bente kakapiranggot pa. Tiyaga lang kasi mahirap pag huminto ako, paano mga anak ko," he added.

(I don't eat breakfast anymore. If my 4 children eat breakfast, that's good enough for me. You could buy vegetables for P10 before, but now P20 buys very little. I persevere because what will happen to my children if I stop?)

Based on an October 2022 survey by Social Weather Stations, 12.6 million Filipino households classified themselves as poor.

Some 8.7 million Filipinos are also part of food-poor families.

According to Philippine Statistics Authority, "food-poor" individuals are unable to spend more than P18.92 per meal.

• 2.9 million Filipino families went hungry in Q3 2022, hardly changed from previous quarter

The Philippines’ inflation rate surged to 7.7 percent in October, which was the highest in almost 14 years.

Aside from coping with the increasing prices of basic goods, tutor Marie Acuin is also looking for ways to save water.

‘Yung binanlawan po ng damit ginagamit din po naming panlinis ng CR o pambuhos sa CR. Pag naliligo rin po yung mga kapatid ko sinasahod nila pinanligo then katulad din pambuhos sa CR,’ Acuin added.

(The water used to rinse laundry is also reused to clean the toilet. Water from bathing is also reused to flush the toilet.)

Water rates are also expected to increase next year after the Metropolitan Waterworks and Sewerage System approved requests from concessionaires Manila Water and Maynilad to raise charges.

Both companies said the higher rates will be used for maintenance and better services.

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