Malacañang officials claimed they merely had “a simple dinner” in Le Cirque, but Nanay Evelyn Monicario cannot imagine what a lavish dinner for Arroyo and her cohorts would be, considering that she herself considers sardines a lavish meal these days.
Not Quite Le Cirque. President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo and her party spent nearly one million pesos on dinner during their recent visit to New York, ordering such items as caviar and expensive wine. In the meantime, poor Filipinos — like this little girl having lunch, or what passes for it, in Isla Puting Bato, a slum area in Manila — have to make do with what they have, which is often not enough. (By Ayi Muallam)