Chito Miranda, frontman of the iconic Filipino band Parokya ni Edgar, has come to the defense of his wife, Neri Naig-Miranda, after she faced backlash for her now-viral budget meal plan.
Neri, former actress, and entrepreneur had shared a budget-friendly weekly meal plan on her Facebook page. The "Wais na Misis" initially shared a plan designed for a family of two to four people, operating on a tight budget of only P2,000. She followed up with another meal plan, this time only with a budget of P1,000.
Critics deemed the plan unrealistic, bashing Naig for not providing enough details on how to stick to the P1,000 budget. Several netizens also argued that it was not feasible to feed a family on such a tight budget, particularly given the rising cost of food.
“Kahit madaling araw na, she eagerly shared it with her followers (and again, madaming natuwa at nagpasalamat) ...and since it was intended for those who already knew what she was doing, she made the crucial mistake of not filling in the details. It was soon picked up by those who knew nothing of what she was doing, and was instantly bashed for it,” Chito explained in a Facebook post on Friday.
Chito Miranda lamented how his wife's intentions to help others were met with criticism.
“Grabe diba? Naisip lang naman ng asawa ko na baka sakaling makatulong yung meal plan nya sa mga tao that might find it useful, na-bash pa sya ng mga taong hindi naman nakasubaybay kung bakit ginagawa nya yung meal plan,” he said.
Chito also left a piece of advice for his wife’s bashers.
“For those who got angry and threw stones without knowing the details of what she was doing, good job sa inyo...your comments say more about your character than the person you are commenting on. Peace and good vibes to you too,” he said.
Neri has since deleted her controversial post, but followed up with a seed giveaway in her bid to encourage the public to plant vegetables to save on food costs.
“Ang dami kong vegetable seeds! Sinong may gusto? Kahit walang bakuran, pwede magtanim sa paso. Dali, mamimigay ako ng mga seeds! Para mabawasan ang stress ng mga nagba-budget sa bahay. Kung pwede rin sana mga eggs namin sa farm kaso baka mabasag pagdating sa inyo eh,” she said.
“Mahalaga na matuto na magakaroon ng edible garden lalo na nung naexperience natin ang pandemya. Maaaring may advantage ako kase may bakuran kami. Pero kung may kahit maliit na space sa bakuran o veranda nyo, pwede po magtanim sa paso o sa mga water containers. Maraming paraan sa mga taong madiskarte,” Naig said.