Only the hungry can understand the hungry.

This seems like slavery to me...workers in very demanding jobs receiving only enough to keep them physically sustained to keep doing their job. Anything extra would cause them to consider themselves as human beings and possibly demand safer working conditions, access to services, etc. This is such a sad thing to hear, but it doesn't surprise me at all. This government official definitely does NOT represent the people as she should. Even if she had to try to live on this amount, it wouldn't help because you cannot mimic the lack of education, hope, and the definite neglect people in this situation must feel. They don't have rich relatives who can save them or media that will make an outcry when they face injustice. My question is, how is it really possible to pay these workers more? How can we make labor jobs decent? I know that small businesses cannot afford significant pay increases to their employees. It seems like the government should have to provide more services to low-income workers.

If this government official did really say this, then I can say that he/she is ridiculously stupid and ignorant. I just wish this person would feel and suffer hunger and poverty in his/her lifetime so that this person realizes the hard truth. I just hope he/she knows better.

What? Who is this woman government official? Clearly, she does not know what she is saying. She does not know what it is to be budgeting and really have a family. She needs to be removed from office for this grave ignorance of people's real situation. She should be ashamed.

How about having this official join a reality show where she will live for a month in a rented house with a family of 4 and be given the equivalent daily budget for this period but she also has to pay the rent, electricity and water bills. Hope no one get sick along this period as she has to fit in the medical expenses too in the allotted budget.

Exactly! With the said amount, payment for the utilities are not yet included, as well as the fare that the members of the family need going to and from their work.

That female government official will not be able to understand the condition that others especially the poor is going through. There are many other needs in life besides trying to fill our tummy with the cheapest food. As you had put it, people need more money to prepare for emergencies and live their lives better. We live to be happy and not just working to survive. Increase of wages is necessary especially for the poor.

These government officials have no idea on what they are talking about in terms of how a poor person spends their income. Yes, they can argue that they can live with P200. But that is because they don't consider the other expenses like rent, electricity and water. And schooling. For them, it's just a set meal that should fit that budget. But I agree on that amount for a family of four. That is if the family isn't choosy with what they will eat. The mother or the father must know how to cook, otherwise the family will be doomed to eggs, hotdogs and canned goods. Canned goods and instant noodles are actually more expensive than if you just buy vegetables that is more nutritious. The problem is that some of our poor don't want to prepare such foods and insists on expensive meals such as meats or instant meals. If that amount will be for food alone, then it is enough. But if that is where the other expenses will come from, then that government official just proved that she has no idea of what she is talking about.

I think working a regular job and living pay day to pay day is something every government official should be required to do so they can understand what it is like to be hungry and needy and want a job with decent pay. It would be interesting to see these people make a living like the rest of the world instead of living off of the people's money and making more than the citizens they should serve.

Hi jaraan, I completely agree with you. Most of the people in government have no idea how the poorest in the country live. I think that she should have to live on that amount for a year and see how she does. I hate to see people people criticizing those who have so little when they have no idea of what they are talking about. This person has no business in government. Blessings.

I'm curious as to who this government official is. But then a lot of politicians these days do not know about the difficulty of the people they are supposedly going to serve. It's a sickening situation in the Philippines. The people now serve the government officials and not the other way around.

The sad thing is the rich think if people have milk and bread and some beans and rice they should be happy with that!really? like you say I would love to place these officials in a remote place where there is no shops and they have to work from sun rise to sun down with only a meal of dry stale bread for lunch and come home to only boiled potato and beans for supper! and if they want a shower or bath it will be with cold water and no soap or shampoo unless they make their own! yeah I really would like to know how would they survive! my parents used to say to understand some one you have to put your self in their shoes...politicians and officials never walked in a poor person shoe.

most all who say that have not lived that.. I know what it is like to do without..one meal a day if that..I know it is hard and I know alot of people do not get a balance meal ..milk is pass 3 dollars a gallon, bread is over 2 dollars a loaf, gas prices are sky high, the law starts you have to have insurance when you drive .. wake up world ..if statements like this is made then an old saying is be in their shoes for a month not one day at least a month..see how it feels to not have ..as a matter of fact start out without anything and see if you have anything in a month...people just lost out because they know not what it is like to not have ..I have mainly now because I worked hard really hard and still struggle to have..jobs now are not easy to get without a well education and who can afford as this and that without the help of others..so sad what the world has let go of the love for one another...I could go on and on but these are just my thoughts...

And so when our govt gave us a national pay scale there was not any significant increment of salary for 3rd class employees as those pay scale was drafted and finalised by 1st class officers. In that pay scale interests of the officers was upheld. I would say, wether you believe or not, Every salary of every individual should be equal as our lives are equal, sense of pain are equal, sense of honour are equal.

Yes here in Mexico they say the same crap. People here earn min. of about 75.00 dollars a week. Gas is 3.50 a gallon, beans, rice and tortillas are more expensive than ever before. meat is very high here. And they think they can eat on 75.00 a week. I dont know how some families can do it here.

This is all too common a situation and exists all acroos the planet. We have people making such decisions, yet they live in a totally different to the average person.

Yes I absolutely agreed with the saying only the hungry can understand the hungry, its no common sense with the female government official, some people like me will hate her forever.

Of course this government official known very well what she is talking about, she just doesn't have any compassion for the downtrodden, impoverished and unfortunate people in the land. It is true that those who never have to suffer a day of hunger in her entire life will never understand the feeling of going hungry. She was born in a high class family and her wealthy background are more than enough for her to continue cocoon within government institution and display her total ignorance on the social issue affecting large population of the people. It is quite a curse for a nation and its people when a person with such caliber is served in the government institution where decision is make and rule is set.

ya for sure even while i am hungry,my friends used to delay and i later would convince them to be fast for the dinner

We can only understand one's life if we have tried their life or if we're in their shoe. We can never feel one's pain if we have not undergone such thing. We can not tell how it is in heaven if we have not been there. We can appreciate a thing if we experience it.

politician are very good making promises and telling alot of things. yes i will be the one who will change the corruption so on and so on but after they got elected they forgot the poor people who voted they they forgot the promise help the promise land the promise changes will be just a promise.the poor will just continue their life work everyday so they can afford to buy food and other basic things they need and hoping for the next election to have a new politician that will make change but i will not happen i when theirs corrupt official/politician