Marife Dhoctor, 43, a domestic helper in the Philippines, is looking forward to the traditional Christmas Eve dinner, when families gather to savour festive dishes and exchange gifts.
However, rising prices of goods have forced her family of five to stretch their meagre budget as they plan for the annual feast known as Noche Buena or “the good night”.
Dhoctor and her husband, who works as a construction worker, earn a combined daily wage of just over 1,000 pesos (US$17). As building projects are…
