Veteran actress Gloria Diaz drew criticism for saying that P500 is enough for a traditional Christmas dinner in a Filipino household.
The stars of “Rekonek,” a 2025 Metro Manila Film Festival entry, were asked about their thoughts on whether a Noche Buena worth P500 is enough for a Filipino family this Christmas.
Actors Carmina Villaroel, Zoren Legaspi, Charlie Dizon, and Kelvin Miranda all disagreed that the amount was enough to prepare a Christmas Eve dinner.
Only Gloria expressed agreement that P500 can serve as a Noche Buena meal.
“Of course, pwede. And by the way, Cris is a good friend of mine,” the first Miss Universe titleholder from the Philippines said, referring to Department of Trade and Industry (DTI) Secretary Cristina Roque.
“She showed me all of DTI’s [meal plan] for P500. You can have corned beef, fruit salad, you can have pineapple juice na dinadagdagan ng maraming yelo, and you can eat pansit,” Gloria added.
A clip of her response circulated on X (formerly Twitter), where the actress’ name trended as her comments sparked widespread buzz.
“Gloria Diaz being so detached from reality. Kakasama mo ‘yan sa equally detached alta friends mo,” an online user wrote.
“Also, Carmina and Zoren totally nailing it. Tama naman sila eh, Noche Buena is supposed to be a feast. Kahit anong estado pa ng buhay ng isang pamilya, gugustuhin nila na may maraming mapapagsaluhan ‘pag Pasko,” the X user added.
“Sobrang dehumanizing ipilit na ‘sakto lang naman ang P500’ kasi ‘di lang naman sa simpleng Noche Buena na-stuck ang mentality na ‘yan, but even sa minimum wage ng ordinaryong mamamayang Pilipino,” the X user continued.
“‘Yung utak ni Gloria Diaz, na-stuck sa 60s, hahahahahaha,” another quipped, referring to the period when Gloria became the first Filipino Miss Universe.
“Let’s all call for a challenge kay Gloria Diaz na maghain ng Noche Buena this year for P500 only. Bet!?! Hahahahaha. Jusko. From Noche Buena to letche buena!” a different Pinoy said.
“Miss Gloria, hindi na po ito 1960’s. Kasya yes, pero hanggang Pasko ba naman kailangan magtipid ng Pinoy?” another commented.
Last month, Filipinos challenged Roque and other DTI officials to prepare a Noche Buena meal for only P500.
The DTI chief insisted that it was feasible, noting that not everyone “wants to celebrate ostentatiously.”
Roque added that her comment was based on the DTI’s Noche Buena price guide.
ALSO READ: P500 for Noche Buena? Pinoys challenge DTI to try it themselves
Noche Buena is a traditional Christmas Eve dinner in Filipino households, often enjoyed as a way for families and loved ones to gather and share a meal.
