How some poor Filipino families cope with rising prices

Reiniel Pawid, ABS-CBN News

<div class="embed-wrap"><figure data-feedback="fb:likes,fb:comments"><img alt="Children walk through a flooded area due to high tide in Baseco, one of the biggest slums in Manila on August 15, 2022. Jam Sta. Rosa, AFP/file" src="https://sa.kapamilya.com/absnews/abscbnnews/media/2022/news/08/15/20220815-baseco-manila-afp-1-s.jpg"/><figcaption>Children walk through a flooded area due to high tide in Baseco, one of the biggest slums in Manila on August 15, 2022. <em>Jam Sta. Rosa, AFP/file</em></figcaption></figure></div><p>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.</p><p>He earns P500 a day after driving his tricycle for 15 hours.</p><p>Mendoza budgets their meal by skipping breakfast. Often, they share just 4 eggs and 2 instant noodles for lunch and dinner.</p><p>&quot;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,&quot; he added.</p><p>(I don&#x27;t eat breakfast anymore. If my 4 children eat breakfast, that&#x27;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?)</p><p>Based on an October 2022 survey by Social Weather Stations, 12.6 million Filipino households classified themselves as poor.</p><p>Some 8.7 million Filipinos are also part of food-poor families. </p><p>According to Philippine Statistics Authority, &quot;food-poor&quot; individuals are unable to spend more than P18.92 per meal. </p><ul class="op-related-articles">	<li><a href="https://news.abs-cbn.com/news/10/30/22/29-million-filipino-families-went-hungry-in-q3-2022">2.9 million Filipino families went hungry in Q3 2022, hardly changed from previous quarter</a></li></ul><p>The Philippines’ inflation rate surged to 7.7 percent in October, which was the highest in almost 14 years.</p><p>Aside from coping with the increasing prices of basic goods, tutor Marie Acuin is also looking for ways to save water.</p><p>‘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.</p><p>(The water used to rinse laundry is also reused to clean the toilet. Water from bathing is also reused to flush the toilet.) </p><p>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.</p><p>Both companies said the higher rates will be used for maintenance and better services.</p><div><strong>FROM THE ARCHIVES:</strong></div><figure class="op-interactive"><iframe height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/vt6P3xuX2u4?enablejsapi=1" width="560"></iframe></figure><div class="iwantbar">Watch more News on <a href="https://www.iwanttfc.com/#!/browse/Genres/News/tag_id_genres/id_news" target="_blank">iWantTFC</a></div>

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

How some poor Filipino families cope with rising prices | ABS-CBN

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How some poor Filipino families cope with rising prices

How some poor Filipino families cope with rising prices

Reiniel Pawid,

ABS-CBN News

Published Nov 20, 2022 04:18 PM PHT

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inflation

poverty

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