Soaring inflation and successive typhoons in 2024 are pushing Filipinos to think of creative ways to celebrate Christmas without breaking the bank. - Photos: Mara Cepeda, courtesy of Mary John Ramos
MANILA: The Christmas rush roars louder than ever in the bustling Divisoria street market in the Philippine capital Manila.
Honking cars squeeze slowly through the throngs of shoppers bargain hunting at stalls selling everything from cheap plastic toys and children’s clothes to dried fish and fresh fruits to be served during Christmas Eve dinner, known locally as Noche Buena or the Good Night.
Some vendors have switched from their usual office and school supply wares to dancing Santa Claus dolls, paper lanterns and twinkling fairy lights in keeping with the holiday spirit.
But for long-time Christmas decor vendor Christine Calo, 26, the sparkle is a little dimmer in 2024. The holiday crowds are present, but their wallets are lighter, turning what should be the most joyful time of the year into a quiet struggle for sellers like her.
Six storms battered parts of the Philippines in October and November alone, and Filipinos still reeling in the aftermath of the natural disasters are forced to tighten their belts this Yuletide season.
Christmas is deeply ingrained in Filipino culture, celebrated as both a religious and familial event in this predominantly Catholic nation.
The season starts as early as September and is characterised by Noche Buena feasts, midnight masses and generous gift-giving.
With Christmas being the most anticipated and celebrated event of the year in the Philippines, a typical middle-class family would spend roughly 35,000 pesos (S$805) for the holiday season, according to a 2023 study by remittance firm WorldRemit.
And the average family of five can easily spend more than half its budget on the glorious Noche Buena feast the night before Christmas.
But soaring inflation and the successive typhoons in 2024 are pushing Filipinos to think of creative ways to celebrate Christmas without breaking the bank.
Calo told The Straits Times that in 2023, she sold 3m-tall Christmas trees at 10,000 pesos each and Christmas balls for 1,000 pesos per set of four.
She cut this year’s prices by 50 per cent to 70 per cent, as her customers say that is all they can afford right now.
“Our sales are slower now compared with last year. But I understand, because why would people prioritise buying Christmas decor when they were just hit by a typhoon?” Calo said.
The recent natural disasters affected some four million people across the archipelago of about 117 million, leaving behind about 5.9 billion pesos worth of agricultural damage.
The Philippine government, however, has given assurances that there will be an adequate supply of rice and other staples for the holiday season.
Still, the Department of Trade and Industry reported in mid-November that prices of about 100 food items commonly purchased by Filipinos for Noche Buena have gone up, thanks to the seasonal demand.
These include products like spaghetti and sauce, sandwich spreads, cream, ham, cheese, mayonnaise and canned fruit cocktail.
Though the price hikes may seem minimal – ranging from 5 pesos to 50 pesos compared with 2023’s prices – they are an added financial burden for low-income workers like Julien Abototo.
The security guard, who is a mother of two, earns a modest daily minimum wage of around 600 pesos.
This year’s typhoons left holes in the roof of her house in the slums of Taguig City, beside Manila, and she has yet to save enough for repairs.
She is grateful, however, that the government has provided each household with a Christmas aid package consisting of a kilogram of spaghetti and sauce, canned goods, a block of cheese and instant pancake mix.
She plans to serve these on Christmas Eve.
In the Philippines, city officials traditionally give cash gifts or baskets of Noche Buena ingredients to low-income families to help them celebrate the holidays.
“I always cook the food the city gives us because it saves me a lot of money. That’s still 250 pesos worth, and they’re giving it to us for free,” Abototo said.
Even middle-class families have been pushed to tighten their belts this Christmas.
A whole roast pig on the dining table is a much-loved treat for Filipinos who can afford to splurge 10,000 pesos to 20,000 pesos on lechon.
This year, some families will likely be serving smaller cuts of meat instead, or doing without the crowning centrepiece altogether.
Bank officer Queenie Marco, a 58-year-old single mother of three, usually allots about 8,000 pesos for the family’s Noche Buena dinner.
She has slashed that budget by more than one-third to 5,000 pesos in 2024, citing the higher prices of goods in the market.
Marco plans to make home-cooked meals for her family this Christmas instead of buying ready-made food trays from restaurants.
“I have no choice but to save money somehow. I even bought decorations late for better discounts. I probably won’t serve as much desserts and fruits too,” Marco told ST.
Meanwhile, content specialist Mary John Ramos, 29, has also saved money this year by making gifts for relatives instead of buying items on their wish list.
She customised and edited family photos to highlight everyone’s birthdays, and had personalised calendars printed online – spending just a fraction, or 30 per cent, of what she usually does on 15 loved ones during her year-end shopping spree.
“For me, it’s also more of being intentional about my gifts without breaking the bank,” Ms Ramos told ST.
Amid the challenging times, Filipinos like Calo, Abototo and Ramos are proving that the true spirit of Christmas is not found in extravagant gifts or lavish celebrations, but in the company of loved ones and in keeping the faith despite setbacks.
“We have to find ways to celebrate Christmas regardless of what’s happening to us,” Abototo said.
“It’s that one day of the year when we can be happy and show our love to our family. That’s always worth celebrating”. - The Straits Times/ANN
