Dannyka Manangan

EXCLUSIVE: ‘Lumpia Queen’ Abi Marquez on ₱500 Noche Buena budget: ‘I hate it’

Article (news)

Peter Andrew Acierto

Push Team

<p>Lumpia Queen Abi Marquez gave her opinion on the controversial ₱500 Noche Buena budget set by the Department of Trade and Industry (DTI). In an exclusive interview with <em><strong></strong></em><strong></strong><strong>PUSH ABS-CBN</strong><strong></strong><em><strong> </strong></em>earlier this month at the Via Mare restaurant in Greenhills, the content creator expressed how frustrated she is with the valuation. </p><div><br/></div><div><br/></div><iframe class="instagram-media instagram-media-rendered" id="instagram-embed-0" src="https://www.instagram.com/reel/DSAJJrJD9Ij/embed/?cr=1&amp;v=14&amp;wp=540&amp;rd=https%3A%2F%2Fod2-workbench-web.abs-cbn.com&amp;rp=%2F#%7B%22ci%22%3A0%2C%22os%22%3A107766.5%2C%22ls%22%3A107155.90000000224%2C%22le%22%3A107161.10000000149%7D" allowtransparency="true" allowfullscreen="" frameBorder="0" height="881" data-instgrm-payload-id="instagram-media-payload-0" scrolling="no" style="background:white;max-width:540px;width:calc(100% - 2px);border-radius:3px;border:1px solid rgb(219, 219, 219);box-shadow:none;display:block;margin:0px 0px 12px;min-width:326px;padding:0px"></iframe><script async="" src="//www.instagram.com/embed.js"></script><div><br/></div><div><br/></div><p>Several content creators, celebrities, and netizens have voiced out their concerns with the budget as some deemed it unrealistic with the prices of today’s goods. </p><div><br/></div><div><a href="https://www.abs-cbn.com/entertainment/showbiz/celebrities/2025/12/4/benedict-cua-tries-the-500-budget-for-noche-buena-hindi-ko-mafeel-yung-pasko-1728"><strong>READ: Benedict Cua tries the ₱500 budget for Noche Buena: ‘Hindi ko mafeel yung Pasko’</strong></a></div><div><br/></div><p>Speaking on the issue, Abi expressed her frustration as she believes that the ingredients listed aren&#x27;t complete and she is very against it. </p><p>“I’ve been looking for a way to say my opinion here. But, I hate it. I’m so frustrated with that ₱500 budget. If you ask me kung kaya, you know technically kaya pero masaya ba yun? Kasi when they released the budget, they enumerated the ingredients: pasta, sauce, hotdog–– asan yung sibuyas? Yung oil? Yung bawang? Yung cheese? Yung ketchup? Hindi kumpleto,” she shared.</p><p>Costing wise, she believes it’s vague but doable and “sad” as the people don’t deserve the budget proposed by the DTI for a family of four. </p><p>As someone who rose to fame on social media through food, Abi couldn’t help but be passionate about the issue. </p><p>“I feel very passionate over this as someone who’s involved in food, who looks at food as a way to celebrate, as a way to feel that happiness in any occasion. I’m just really sad, I think yung pinakasad doon is parang yun yung value ng sinasabi nila na ito yung value at deserve ng mga tao pag noche buena,” she explained.  </p><div><br/></div><div><a href="https://www.abs-cbn.com/entertainment/showbiz/celebrities/2025/12/4/judy-ann-santos-on-500-noche-buena-budget-more-research-could-ve-been-done-1341"><strong>READ: Judy Ann Santos on ₱500 Noche Buena budget: ‘More research could’ve been done’<br/></strong></a></div><div><br/></div><p>“It’s not about if [it’s] kaya or hindi–– kasi nga kaya nga but sad. Then again, you see how much they think you deserve so that’s really sad for me. I’m very against it. Costing wise, yung mga practitioners will say that’s very vague–– macaroni salad with just these three ingredients? I can’t even make that,” she continued. </p><div><br/></div><div><a href="https://www.abs-cbn.com/entertainment/showbiz/celebrities/2025/12/3/jessy-mendiola-and-luis-manzano-weigh-in-on-500-noche-buena-budget-1605"><strong>READ: Jessy Mendiola and Luis Manzano weigh in on ₱500 Noche Buena budget</strong></a></div><div><br/></div><p>The content creator maintained that she believes the people can decide on their own budget when it comes to their noche buena but maintained how frustrating the valuation was given by the government agency. </p><p>“You can make it as grand as you can, as festive as you want. The costing really depends sa putahe–– a palabok would cost more than a spaghetti kasi may hipon,” she said. </p><p>“I would say na that’s something that people can decide on their own but focusing on the valuation–– the ₱ 500–– that’s what’s frustrating,” she ended. </p><p>Meanwhile, Abi recently released the music video for her first ever single, &quot;Let Love Be The Gift,&quot; which she sang alongside Asia’s Romantic Baladeer, Christian Bautista. The song has been out since September on all music streaming platforms while the music video was just released this month. </p>

<p>Speaking with PUSH ABS-CBN, Lumpia Queen Abi Marquez gives her thoughts on the controversial ₱500 noche buena budget. </p>

Speaking with PUSH ABS-CBN, Lumpia Queen Abi Marquez gives her thoughts on the controversial ₱500 noche buena budget.