Celebs lament inflation, regard chili as ‘new status symbol’

By: Kate Matriano - 6 years ago

INQUIRER.net stock photo

With the inflation rate in August at its highest in nine years at 6.4 percent, even celebrities can feel its effects.

“Inflation. Ang dating ipapang-grocery na 2,000 pesos, pa-konti na nang pa-konti ang nabibili (The P2000 pesos you used to have to buy groceries can now only buy fewer and fewer goods as time passes by),” she wrote on Twitter on Sept. 6. “Sa mga economists dito sa (To the economists here on) Twitter, honest question.. will it get worse or is this the part that gets a bit better?”

In a separate Tweet on Sept. 10, she lamented the upcoming price hike of consumer goods resulting from the increased price of oil: “Ayan na.. tataas na ulit presyo ng gas. We all know kung anong mga susunod na tataas ang presyo dahil diyan.”

(It’s coming… price of gas will increase once again. We all know what will increase in price next because of that.)

Television host Gretchen Ho echoed Gonzalez’s sentiment. “Hearing all of these price hikes on the news is really painful. Ano nga ba ang pwedeng gawin ng indibidwal bukod sa sobra sobrang pagtitipid? (What else can individuals do aside from extreme saving and conserving?)”

Some celebrities chose to focus on the effect of inflation on the price of agricultural products.

“Totoo naman yung ‘golden age of Philippine agriculture’ daw ngayon,” quipped musician and journalist Lourd de Veyra. “Ang gulay presyong ginto.”

(The “golden age of Philippine agriculture” tag does ring true today. Vegetables are priced like gold.)

Actor-musician-writer Juan Miguel Severo chided those who disregard the effect of inflation: “40 pesos yung pinakamaliit na repolyo sa grocery. 40 pesos, besh. Tapos sasabihin mo, balewala ang inflation sa taong masipag?”

(The smallest cabbage in the grocery is worth P40. P40, friend. Then you’ll say inflation is nothing to a hardworking person?)

Ethel Booba explained the reason why there is a huge backlash after the rice price hike.

“Madaming nagtatanong: Mahal alak wala angal,” she said. “Mahal sigarilyo wala angal. Mahal Starbucks wala angal. Mahal makeup wala angal. Mahal gimik wala angal. Pero bigas mahal puro angal. Ang bisyo minsan mo lang gastusan pero ang pagkain mayaman o mahirap kailangan araw araw. Charot!”

(Many are asking: expensive makeup, no whining. Expensive cigarette, no whining. Expensive make up, no whining. Expensive night out, no whining. But when rice becomes expensive, there’s a lot of whining. You only spend on your vices occasionally; but food, whether rich or poor, need it every day.)

Meanwhile, Ho regarded red chili pepper as the new status symbol.

She also shared a meme of what a rich person in the Philippines looks like in 2018.

Actress Agot Isidro called out President Rodrigo Duterte’s administration: “Paano namin sasabihin na napakagaling ng Duterte admin? Na the best talaga! Sa gitna ng 6.4 inflation rate, bukbok rice, pagnanakaw ng isla, 20k na patay, 6b na shabu, di nasulosyonan na trapik, corruption, 800/kg ang sili bawal pintasan? Kahit ganyan na?”

(How are we to say that the Duterte administration is very good? That it really is the best? In the midst of the 6.4 inflation rate, weevil-infested rice, stealing of Philippine island, 20,000 dead, six billion shabu, traffic that still has no solution, corruption, 800 per kilogram chili, you can’t criticize them? Despite all that?)

Musician Jim Paredes threw a jab at Diehard Duterte Supporters (DDS) through a post he retweeted. The said tweet contains a photo of a man eating cardboard cutouts of foods, and is captioned, “DDS pa more. Gutom na ba? (DDS still. Are you hungry yet?)”

Image: Screengrab from Twitter/@Jimparedes

Meanwhile, pro-Duterte blogger Rey Joseph Nieto (a.k.a. Thinking Pinoy) shared several equations on Facebook last Sept. 8, titled “Finding Ways to Combat Inflation: Understanding Price Levels.”

He also uploaded a satirical post regarding his thoughts on the chili price hike.

“Nang dahil sa iyo, Duterte, hindi ko na afford makakain ng isang kilong sili araw-araw! (Because of you, Duterte, I can’t afford to eat a kilo of chili anymore every day!),” he stated.

Another staunch supporter of the administration, blogger and columnist Sass Rogando Sasot, appeared to have the same opinion on the issue about the price of chili.

“This might be late already but guys di (it’s not) healthy ang kumain ng isang kilong sili (to eat a kilo of chili) every day,” she reminded her Facebook followers. “Maglalangib ang wetpaks nyo yan (Your butts will have scabs).”

In a separate post, Sasot posed a sardonic question concerning the issues raised by celebrities.

“Anong mas mahirap mag-adjust sa inflation o ang kumain ng isang kilong sili every day?” she asked.

(Which is harder, to adjust with the inflation or eat a kilo of chili every day?) JB

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