Now at 6.1%, the inflation rate in the Philippines has been on an upward trend, and the prices of basic necessities, including food, continue to shoot up. Actress Judy Ann Santos-Agoncillo cited this as the reason that she took a break from uploading new videos for her online cooking show Judy Ann’s Kitchen.

‘Judy Ann’s Kitchen’ on hold

Since October 2017, Judy Ann Santos has been cooking and sharing different recipes on her Youtube channel “Judy Ann’s Kitchen”, garnering over 1.69 million subscribers and over 150 videos averaging hundred thousands views each. However, her last upload was already five months old: a maja blanca recipe from January 2022.

In an episode of morning talk show Magandang Buhay, the actress cited inflation and rising prices on why she hasn’t been updating her cooking show. “Hindi naman sobrang busy. Ang hirap kasing mag-isip ng mga episodes especially kung ang pagtaas ng presyo ng bilihin ay napakalala.”

“Ang hirap kasi mag-isip ng mga episodes, especially kung ang pagtaas ng presyo ng bilihin ay napaka-lala. Ayaw kong hindi maka-relate ‘yong viewers sa kung ano mang lutuin ‘yong gagawin ko, kasi parang napaka-unfair naman ‘di ba?” pic.twitter.com/WhBnrPX5Id

— ch (@Apostoool) July 6, 2022

“Ayokong hindi maka-relate ‘yung viewers sa kung anumang lutuin ang gagawin ko kasi parang napaka-unfair naman,” she added. “Ayoko lang na parang masabihan ako na ‘luto ka nang luto, di naman namin magagawa yan.’ Hindi naman ako pumapatol, pero after lang ako sa reality ba.”

Judy Ann Santos also emphasized that she doesn’t want to force herself to make episodes. “Outlet ko ang Judy Ann’s Kitchen. Ayoko siyang tratuhing trabaho. ‘Pag trinato ko siyang trabaho, mawawala na ‘yung genuine authenticity [of the show].”

Praise for her empathy

Her decision to put her cooking show on hold received praise from netizens. One pointed out that she understood how inflation affects the lives of people and that she was aware enough of what’s happening to act accordingly. Another also commended her for the empathy she showed in making sure her content is relatable to her audience.

Judy Ann is a smart and very good person. She has social sensitivity that other celebrities, especially those elected in government positions, do not possess. Kudos Judy Ann #JudyAnnSantos

— valentino🇵🇭🇨🇦 (@valenti93067543) July 7, 2022

sobrang cringe din yung mga pa-bill reveal eme sa fancy restaurants what’s the point

— omid (@omidong) July 8, 2022

The rarest thing in wealthy people is empathy. Thank you for being empathetic to us, commoners, Ms. Judy Ann.

— Leia Padol (@leiapadol) July 7, 2022

Inflation

The inflation rate jumped from 4.9 percent in April to 5.4 percent in May to the current 6.1 percent in June. According to the Philippine Statistics Authority, the 6.1 percent figure is the highest inflation rate we’ve seen since October 2018.

National Statistician Dennis Mapa noted the prices of food in particular had double-digit annual increases. “Nakikita pa rin namin na initial, particularly dito sa food products, na patuloy yung pagtaas.”

The Bank of the Philippine Islands also predicts that the inflation rate will most likely go up. “The headline figure may continue to go up until October assuming oil prices will stay at current levels. In this scenario, average inflation is expected to settle between 5 to 5.5 percent,” the bank said in a statement.

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