Katrina Halili Tests DTI’s P500 Noche Buena Claim and the Outcome Is Unexpected
KATRINA HALILI – Kapuso star Katrina Halili put the viral P500 Noche Buena claim to the test and was stunned by the actual cost.
Katrina Halili accepted a trending online challenge that ended up surprising both her and countless social media users. The actress and celebrity mom set out to verify the circulating claim that a Filipino household could prepare a Noche Buena spread with only P500—a figure the Department of Trade and Industry (DTI) previously suggested was sufficient for basic holiday dishes.
Eager to see whether the claim held, Katrina went straight to the supermarket. With P500 in hand, she opted for the cheapest ingredients available to make a classic Christmas dish: macaroni salad. She filmed the entire shopping trip and shared the footage online with the caption, “Hindi ako papayag, uulitin ko talaga. Nakaka-challenge, eh!”
While browsing the aisles, she chose the most economical items she could find, including macaroni, onions, cheese, and other low-cost components needed for the recipe. Throughout her grocery run, Katrina hoped her careful selections would stay within the P500 budget she committed to.
But the real shock came once she reached the cashier. As soon as the total appeared, Katrina was taken aback—the amount reached P619, surpassing her budget by a wide margin. This left her questioning, “Eh, ano pala kakasya sa P500?” and adding, “Tin-try ko lang kung kakasya P500, hindi pala.”
The cashier then mentioned that many others had attempted the same challenge, yet none had managed to succeed. Hearing this only added to Katrina’s confusion as she stood inside the elevator holding her grocery bags, still in disbelief over how quickly her budget had been exceeded.
Still, she refused to be discouraged. Katrina promised to give the challenge another shot, reaffirming her determination with, “Wala, talo ako sa challenge. I think uulitin ko pa ulit ‘to. Uulitin ko ‘to, hindi ako papayag kasi palpak. Kailangan magawa ko ‘yong P500 na ‘yon.”
Meanwhile, DTI Secretary Cristina Aldeguer-Roque continues to draw criticism after claiming that a family of four could supposedly prepare a Noche Buena meal for just P500—an assertion that gained even more backlash after Katrina’s widely shared experiment highlighted how unrealistic the amount appears to be.
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