30/07/2026
Every Peso Counts: The Cost-of-Living Crisis Facing Consumers in Panay
In his Fifth State of the Nation Address, President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. highlighted economic gains, government programmes, and plans to improve the lives of Filipinos. Consumers welcome every genuine effort to ease the burden of ordinary families. But beyond speeches and economic indicators is another reality—one experienced at the market, in electricity bills, in transport fares, and on every family table.
Our own cost-of-living computation in Panay shows that a family needs at least Php22,595.05 per month to cover basic food, water, electricity, cooking fuel, transportation, and essential household needs. This is far above the PSA poverty threshold of Php13,900 per month.
Economic progress cannot be measured only by GDP growth, investment pledges, or government reports. It must also be measured by whether workers receive living wages, whether food remains affordable, whether electricity is accessible, and whether families can meet their basic needs without falling into debt.
The Panay Consumers Alliance calls on the national government to take immediate and meaningful action to ease the burden on Filipino consumers. This includes scrapping taxes on basic commodities, especially fuel, food, and essential utilities; strengthening price controls and enforcement against profiteering; and ensuring that wages are adjusted according to the real cost of living.
The government must end policies that make basic needs more expensive and place the burden of economic crises on ordinary consumers. This means repealing the Oil Deregulation Law, reviewing privatization, deregulation, and liberalization policies that have weakened public control over essential services, and pursuing genuine reforms that put people’s welfare above corporate profit.
A long-term solution requires progressive taxation that makes the wealthy and large corporations contribute their fair share, genuine land reform that supports farmers and food security, and national industrialization that creates decent jobs and strengthens local production.
Until every household in Panay can live with dignity and security, the struggle for affordable living and economic justice continues.
