MANILA, Philippines – Leah Lobrigo, 48, sells budget meals in Pasig City from Monday to Saturday, 12 hours a day. The cart of her boss is positioned along Alcalde Jose Street, which is near many schools, hospitals, and various establishments.
Among their offerings, a clear favorite is pares, or braised beef served with rice and a bowl of beef broth. It’s staple Filipino street food, perfect for those craving a cheap but satisfying meal.
But as commodity prices shot up due to the United States-Israel war on Iran, even the cost of pares was not spared. From the previous price of P30, Lobrigo’s customers now have to pay P34. She also had to adjust their pares recipe, using lechon kawali or crispy pork belly instead of the more expensive beef.
STREET FOOD. Customers eat their budget pares meal from Leah Lobrigo’s food cart in Pasig City. Photo by Jelo Ritzhie Mantaring/Rappler
“Naiintindihan naman po nila (customers). Alam naman nila talaga na gano’n kahirap ‘yung buhay, na lalo nagtaas ang bilihin na naman ngayon,” she told Rappler. (Customers understand the situation. They know how difficult life is, especially now that the costs of commodities have gone up again.)
In October, the Philippines’ inflation rate jumped to 7.8% amid higher fuel, electricity, and transport prices. Food inflation eased overall, but rice inflation hit an over two-year high of 20.7%.
To make matters worse, the outlook isn’t looking good with the El Niño phenomenon now considered very strong, and widespread drought expected in early 2027.
If inflation continues to soar in the coming months, Lobrigo worries that it might further push up business expenses and possibly force them to raise prices again, which could lead to fewer customers.
“Parang akin na ‘to eh…. Masaya ako pagka malaki ang benta ko. ‘Pag mahina, parang iba rin ‘yung pakiramdam.” (It’s like the business is mine. I’m happy when sales are up. When sales are weak, it’s a different feeling.)
Tougher timesThe daily income of street food vendors is usually volatile.
Ronald Piedad, 39, can earn P500 to 700 daily from selling kakanin, or sweet native delicacies. He sources his products from a local shop in Novaliches Bayan, located in the north of Quezon City.
From there, he pedals his cart daily to Panay Avenue, beside the staircase leading to the Quezon Avenue southbound station of the Metro Rail Transit Line 3. That’s around 12 kilometers away from his residence.
Piedad endures this long travel as he had many competitors in his original area, resulting in sluggish sales even if he went house to house. Still, he has observed a trend of fewer customers at his new spot.
“Nagbago na talaga ngayon…dahil siguro sa higpit-sinturon talaga,” he told Rappler. (Customer behavior has really changed, maybe because they really have to tighten their belts.)
KAKANIN. Ronald Piedad sells kakanin or sweet native delicacies in Quezon City amid a hot afternoon. Photo by Jelo Ritzhie Mantaring/Rappler
To boost his earnings, he also sells his own palitaw, or flat rice cakes. But he said prices of glutinous rice flour, coconut, sugar, and liquefied petroleum gas or LPG have gone up, hurting his income.
Simply to make ends meet, he might be forced to increase prices, too.
“Hindi naman ako nangarap na yayaman ako…. Basta makakain lang tatlong beses sa isang araw, makakain ‘yong pamilya ko, makabayad din ako sa bahay, gano’n lang, hindi kami papaalisin sa inuupahan namin,” Piedad said. (I’m not dreaming of becoming rich. I just want my family to eat three times a day, and to be able to pay rent so that we won’t be evicted from our house.)
No choice but to persevereBeside Piedad’s spot is a cart full of skewered street food or tusok-tusok. Mark Ferrer, 32, sells fish balls, kikiam, and squid balls for P20 per stick. The popular kwek-kwek, made by deep-frying hard-boiled quail eggs coated with orange batter, costs P25 per stick.
Ferrer said his boss did not increase the prices of their products to avoid a drop in sales.
TUSOK-TUSOK. Mark Ferrer prepares his utensils to cook fish balls, kwek-kwek, and other street food items popularly known as tusok-tusok. Photo by Jelo Ritzhie Mantaring/Rappler
Of the total daily profit, 15% goes to Ferrer. On good days, his income could reach around P1,000. But during rainy days, or when classes are suspended, his income could drop to as low as P300.
Top of his mind now: how the Super El Niño will hit his livelihood.
“Magtatiyaga ka na lang talaga kumita ng pera. Kailangan makipagsapalaran ka talaga sa kalye. [Hindi naman puwede] gumawa ng masama para makakain ka lang,” Ferrer said. (You just really have to persevere to earn money. You have to try your luck out in the streets. You can’t resort to crime to put food on the table.)
Looking for more ways to earnLobrigo, a single mother, is still sending three out of her five children to school. While she has a fixed daily income of P660, money is extremely tight.
That’s why during Sundays, her lone day off, she becomes an on-call housekeeper. She is also considering selling dried fish as another source of income.
“Wala nang halaga ‘yong piso natin eh,” Lobrigo said. “‘Yong sinasahod namin…kahit papaano may mararating kung mababa ang mga presyo [ng mga bilihin].” (Our peso practically has no value now. My income could go a long way if only basic goods were cheap.)
WET MARKET. Pork cuts are displayed for sale at a market in Manila, October 22, 2026. Photo by Rappler
The Department of Agriculture has said that the weakening peso may push up prices of imports such as rice, fertilizer, and other farm goods.
“Don’t panic,” President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. said as the peso recently hit historic lows, seeking to assure the public that the government is “doing everything” to keep prices of goods down.
For ordinary Filipinos like street vendors, however, that may be easier said than done. – Rappler.com